John 8:1-11
Title: The
Woman Caught in Adultery
Analysis:
This
passage of scripture is thought of by many commentators and teachers to be
somewhat out of place in the gospel. The natural break of 7:53 seems to flow
much smoother if it is picked up in 8:12. These 11 verses are also not found in
the best of manuscripts or are found placed in different parts of the gospels. Although
this is true, the passage has been accepted to still have the veracity of
Scripture and it is still good to consider what the passage means.
As
we can imagine, the Religious leaders are venting in anger at Jesus. He managed
to teach the people at the feast (7:37-38) and when they sent to arrest Him,
even their soldiers were stunned by His words (7:46). Jesus is now once again
in the temple, “…and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and
began to teach them.” (8:2).
The
Religious leaders have now had enough of Jesus and they bring in a woman, who
was caught in ‘the very act’ of adultery. Verses 5-6 explain their reason for
doing this, saying, “Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women;
what then do You say? They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might
have grounds for accusing Him.” The religious leaders had thought they were
very clever in bringing about this scheme to trap the Lord. They thought Jesus
could only give two responses to their challenge. The first was that if He
rejected the Law of Moses He would lose credibility among the people, the other
option was if He held to the Law He would be viewed as merciless and without
compassion.
Jesus
knew this and responded unlike any of them thought He would. He does not answer
the men with a word but rather stooping down, He writes in the ground. They persist
in questioning Him and He responds by saying, “He who is without sin among you,
let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He writes on the ground,
and the men leave, one by one until only Christ and the women are left. Jesus
now stands back up and says, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go.
From now on sin no more.”
Much
discussion has come about from what Jesus wrote on the ground. Obviously it must
have been very confronting to the religious men who were so ready to accuse
this woman of adultery. Perhaps He wrote the name of the man who she was
committing adultery with. After all, how could they just have the woman and no
man for Jesus to try? Perhaps He was writing all the sins they themselves had
committed, hence each man left one at a time after Jesus exposed them. We really
don’t know exactly what He wrote, but we do know that what He said caused them
to be so ashamed that they left the woman and Jesus alone.
Jesus,
the only one who had never sinned chose to be merciful in this situation and grant
the woman life. But He also warns her that she must stop living a life of sin.
In His perfect wisdom, Jesus frustrated the Religious Leaders plans again, and
granted grace to another unbelieving sinner.
Response:
This
is an amazing passage about the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and the extension
of His unmerited grace. As a sinful fallen human, this passage is a keen
reminder that the Lord Jesus knows everything about us. He knows all our
thoughts, words, actions, and all our sins. This omniscience should spur us on
to continually live a life of holiness so that we will be pleasing to the Lord,
live free of hypocrisy, and glorify His name by being a positive witness of who
Jesus is.
Secondly, this passage reminds us that
although the Lord knows our most intimate thoughts and deeds, he is a mighty
Saviour and one who is willing to wash away our sins and make us clean again.
By confession and repentance the Lord will forgive all those who trust in His
name.
No comments:
Post a Comment