We continue our study of the Gospel of John. Picking up at verse 1 of Chapter 8, we see and hear the words of the Apostle, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
“At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and He sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 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. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one Sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ (John 8: 1- 11)
Notice the Jews had disregarded the Law by arresting the woman without the man. The Law required both to be stoned in cases like this, but there was probably a deal made with the man to set up the scene for them to be caught, and then use it to trap Jesus. This was a set up. So if the Lord said, ‘she should not be stoned,’ they would accuse Him of violating the Law of Moses. If He said ‘stone her to death’, they would report Him to the Romans who did not permit the Jews to carry out executions.
Obviously the plan did not work, but the Lord used it to teach – as He was constantly doing with almost every move He made.
By stating, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”… Jesus totally disarmed the entire group. While He was not condoning adultery, He was saying, “All have sinned. Is this sin worse than yours? Does this sin warrant a death sentence? Does compassion enter in? Do you want to be judged by your peers for what you did? Isn’t judging God’s Role?” Jesus was the only person in the Group without sin, and the only one with authority to judge, but He chose not to. He chose not to condemn, but to show ‘grace’ instead. He simply said, “Go now, and leave your life of sin.” That is “Repent – turn from your sin, and turn to God.”
Father God hates sin, and the things it causes His children to do, but He loves His children and wants them with Him. That is why He sent Jesus to this world to bring a new Covenant of Grace for us. To literally take our sins upon Himself at the cross, and give us His Righteousness. To seal that Covenant, and be our propitiation through His shed blood. To give us the grace and power to turn from sin, and live our life in Him, and His Love.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3: 16,17.)