John 8.1-11
_1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
_We know that the Pharisees & teachers of the law already
had a condemning attitude about Jesus because of their incorrect judgment based
on their own standard (Jn 7.19).
Therefore, in trying to trap Jesus because He had challenged their
understanding of God’s law, they had condemned the woman caught in adultery &
were ready to stone her to see if Jesus would challenge that.
The Bible doesn’t specify exactly what Jesus wrote on the ground, but many think that it was the 10 Commandments or other parts of the law, perhaps those the condemners had personally violated. Whatever it was, it had the intended effect of squelching their arrogant attitude such that they laid down their arms & left.
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. – Jas 2.10
Yet, it is important to notice that Jesus didn’t ignore the woman’s sin problem. Certainly already humbled & humiliated, she was spiritually broken & left only with Jesus – right where God wants us when we are forced to face our sin. Jesus then directed her to turn from her destructive lifestyle (repent), saying “Go and leave your life of sin” (Jn 8.11).
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Ps 51.17
The Bible doesn’t specify exactly what Jesus wrote on the ground, but many think that it was the 10 Commandments or other parts of the law, perhaps those the condemners had personally violated. Whatever it was, it had the intended effect of squelching their arrogant attitude such that they laid down their arms & left.
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. – Jas 2.10
Yet, it is important to notice that Jesus didn’t ignore the woman’s sin problem. Certainly already humbled & humiliated, she was spiritually broken & left only with Jesus – right where God wants us when we are forced to face our sin. Jesus then directed her to turn from her destructive lifestyle (repent), saying “Go and leave your life of sin” (Jn 8.11).
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Ps 51.17
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