Good Friday: Laying Down Our Stones

“And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7 

This Lesson is six of eight compiled for Holy Week 2019. Eight individual stories where God used inanimate rocks or stones to further His Kingdom for His Glory. Inanimate Objects. Rocks, water, bread. All things which are dead or at least NOT living. All things that without action upon it by something living remain sedentary, unchanged, lifeless. Enter Jesus.

Shame. Guilt. Accusation.

These are all things that an angry mob threw at a broken and humiliated woman. They were desirous to crush her with words and with literal stones. Thankfully Jesus put Himself between her and the crowd and essentially told them that they would have to come through Him to get to her.

His statement in the verse above reminded all of them that unless they were perfect, they were in no position to condemn or harm her in any way. Stones were dropped, one at a time, as the mob recognized that they were in no position to judge her.

In another story a man was critical that an “unclean woman” was anointing Jesus’s feet with her tears and with oil. The Pharisee, who had invited Jesus to dinner, was appalled that Jesus allowed her to even touch Him. But Christ took time to dignify this woman against her accuser by saying, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47).

From Christ’s amazing statement we learn that all of us should willingly drop our stones of accusation, anger, and condemnation towards others. When we recognize that Jesus took care of each and every stone that we deserved because of our sin it changes our outlook towards others. He was killed (stoned) on our behalf. Because of that we should be motivated to offer extraordinary forgiveness towards anyone who has wounded or disappointed us. When we hurl stones at others, we deny the power of the Gospel in our own lives. To the degree that we understand that we’re forgiven is to the same degree that we should offer forgiveness to others.

All accusations hurled at us were absorbed by Christ. Jesus forgives us completely.

Because of that we should drop every stone of accusation and condemnation from our hands.