Follow My Lead: An Encounter with Grace
By now we've spent several days preparing our hearts, hearing the invitation, making the decision, taking our first steps, keeping things simple, and learning to recognize the Shepherd's voice.
But today I want us to stop studying Him for a moment.
I want us to meet Him.
One of my favorite encounters in Scripture is found in John 8.
A woman is dragged before Jesus by the religious leaders.
She has been caught in adultery.
She's guilty.
Ashamed.
Exposed.
Humiliated.
And surrounded by people demanding justice.
The religious leaders weren't interested in restoration.
They wanted condemnation and consequences.
They wanted Jesus to choose sides.
They wanted Him to deal with her sin.
Instead, Jesus bent down and began writing in the sand.
The crowd kept pressing.
Demanding.
Accusing.
Insisting.
Finally, Jesus stood and said:
"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
Then He bent down and wrote again.
One by one, the stones dropped.
One by one, the accusers walked away.
Until only Jesus and the woman remained.
I love that moment.
Not because Jesus ignored her sin.
But because He dealt with the hearts of everyone involved.
The truth is, we don't know what Jesus wrote in the sand.
Scripture never tells us.
And I think that may have been intentional.
But after many years of following Jesus, I've often wondered.
Personally, I imagine words like:
Fear.
Pride.
Anger.
Bitterness.
Judgment.
Not because I know that's what He wrote.
But because those are the things He has gently revealed in me.
Not with condemnation.
Not with shame.
Just truth.
The kind of truth that invites growth.
The kind of truth that says:
"Let's be honest about what's really happening here."
Because that's what Jesus does.
He sees beyond the behavior.
He sees the heart.
He sees the wounds.
He sees the fear.
He sees the humanity.
And then He invites us into something better.
After everyone left, Jesus asked the woman:
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she replied.
Then Jesus said:
"Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."
Notice what Jesus didn't say.
He didn't say her choices didn't matter.
He didn't pretend sin wasn't destructive.
He didn't lower the standard.
But He also didn't shame her.
He didn't humiliate her.
He didn't define her by her worst moment.
Instead, He offered two gifts:
Grace.
And truth.
First came grace.
"Neither do I condemn you."
Then came truth.
"Go and leave your life of sin.”
That is the voice of the Shepherd.
He understands.
He listens.
He knows our humanity.
He knows our weaknesses.
He knows the places where we struggle.
And because He loves us, He invites us to grow.
Not through guilt.
Not through fear.
Not through condemnation.
Through relationship.
Through trust.
Through love.
Over the years, I've discovered something surprising.
When Jesus points out something that needs to change, it actually feels good.
Not because correction is easy.
But because it comes from Someone who loves me completely.
His voice doesn't make me want to hide.
His voice makes me want to become better.
His kindness leads me to repentance.
His understanding makes me want to change.
And once we've experienced that kind of grace for ourselves, something remarkable happens.
We begin offering it to others.
We stop throwing stones.
We start extending hands.
We become slower to judge.
Quicker to listen.
More willing to understand.
Because we remember how the Shepherd treated us.
And little by little, we begin sounding more like Him.
Make It Personal
Imagine yourself standing before Jesus.
Not the version of you everyone else sees.
The real you.
The fearful parts.
The selfish parts.
The wounded parts.
The hidden parts.
What do you think Jesus would say?
Can you hear His voice speaking both grace and truth?
What stone are you carrying that needs to be dropped today?
Dig Deeper
John 8:1-11 — The woman caught in adultery.
Romans 2:4 — God's kindness leads us to repentance.
Romans 8:1 — There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 103:8-12 — Compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.
Micah 6:8 — Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
The Shepherd's voice is not one of condemnation.
It is the voice of grace speaking truth.
And truth spoken in love changes everything.