John 8:3-11 The Woman Caught In Adultery

John 8: 3-11

The Woman Caught in Adultery

This is how Jesus dealt with a sinner and demonstrated what LOVE really is.

 3   And the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

 4   They *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.

 5* “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”

 6*  And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. 

       But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground.

 7*  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, 

       let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

 8    And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

 9*  And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, 

        and the woman, where she was, in the midst.

 10* And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”

 11* And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way. 

         From now on sin no more.”

The Pharisees and scribes brought a woman caught in adultery and set her in their midst in front of Jesus, and then they tested Him by quoting the Law of Moses that said such a woman should be stoned. They asked Jesus “What do you say?”. It was a test and an attempt to accuse Him in front of the people. Jesus knows their intent and bends down and draws something on the ground. We don’t know what it was but they watched Him write it, and then He stood up and addressed them - “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” and then wrote again on the ground, again we don’t know what He wrote. 

Jesus was showing them what God expects - GRACE and MERCY and LOVE. These are the true currency of God's Kingdom and they will set the sinner free. Punishment and legalistic standards only bind the sinner to guilt and shame and separation from God, and the sinner never knows the freedom of FORGIVENESS and MERCY and GRACE and LOVE which is what God is all about. That is why Christ came was to pay for our sin so God could show GRACE and MERCY and LOVE to the sinner. It also allowed God to set us free from our guilt and shame and bring us back into relationship with our creator and God.

Then the accusers began to leave one by one until all were gone, and Jesus was left alone with the woman where they had set her. Jesus then stands up and says to the woman, “Woman, Where are they? Did no one condemn You? And she said “No one Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.”

This is the LOVE of Christ, who knowing her sin, did not condemn her but showed MERCY and LOVE to this woman, and telling her to go and sin no more. This was the power of LOVE and this is what Jesus demands of each of us. LOVE is foremost, and condemnation is of no value. In choosing to demonstrate LOVE he freed this woman from her sin and allowed her to begin to change her life and choose a new path and a new direction. He also made a convert in allowing her to know that He would not condemn her and would LOVE her as only GOD can. We, as those who claim the name of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, must learn this lesson and find a way to help people deal with their sin and find HOPE and FORGIVENESS in Jesus Christ. It is our calling and our privilege and our sacred duty. Only then will people see God as He truly is and come to trust Him and put their faith in Him. Brothers and sisters in Christ - be the ones who will choose to LOVE as Christ LOVED and instead of condemning, choose to show MERCY and LOVE and in doing so see people come to a saving faith in Christ who did the same for you and me.

This is our calling and our privilege - to love by showing MERCY and FORGIVENESS and HOPE to those who are struggling in sin and feeling they are worth nothing when in fact they were worth God sending His Son to die for. This is our message and what we have been given by God to do in a world that is lost and falling apart. We must be diligent and courageous and constant in our commitment to represent Christ, be lights, be salt and share our faith and the hope we have in Christ. In doing this we will see people step out of darkness into the light and unburden themselves from their sin and choose to walk in new life a life that Christ gives and we get to be the messengers for. I will do this until my dying breath and I will trust that God sees and uses the seeds I plant to bring people into new and abundant life. Like this woman, people need to be free of condemnation, free of sin, free of accusation and free to live apart from all of these things. THAT IS WHY JESUS DIED AND WHAT WE MUST REPRESENT EVERYDAY.