John 8:1-59
"Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:1-12 (KJV, emphasis added)
I'm sure that I've already told you that John is my favorite book of the Bible. I think Jesus' love for people shines through John's account more than the others. And I especially love the stories that John wrote about women that met Jesus. We've already studied the woman at the well (and if you want to study her story more in-depth, you really need to buy Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd. It was a great book!), and today we're going to meet the woman caught in adultery.
We all have secrets. I'm sure you have some things that you would not want to have splashed across the front page of your hometown newspaper. We all have things that are private. And, unfortunately, some of those private things are sins.
This woman had a big secret. She was having an affair. I'm sure she didn't try to publicize it. After all, it was a totally different culture and age than the one we live in now. Instead of gossipping and bragging about her affair like women do on tv shows and Lifetime movies, she had to hide it from everyone. She was breaking the Law, and the sin she was committing was punishable by death.
Despite her efforts to keep her affair secret, word somehow got around and she was caught red-handed. Imagine how embarrassed and ashamed she must have felt! Then, to make matters worse, the men that caught her drug her to the Temple, yelling her sins out for all to hear. And of all people to take her to, they drug her up to Jesus, the teacher and miracle worker she'd been hearing about.
I'm sure she felt completely unworthy to look Him in the eye, especially after the men told Him what she was guilty of. He knew the Law, and she was sure that He would be the first to cast a stone at her as punishment for her sins.
But instead of picking up a stone, He just knelt and started writing on the ground. He looked at the men that had brought her there. "Which of you is without sin?" He asked. "Let him cast the first stone at her."
Slowly, all the men left. Not one could say he had never sinned. Her life was spared! I'm sure she breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, He looked at her. I bet she held her breath, afraid of what He was going to say. But all He did was ask her where all the men that had accused her had gone. "Hath no man condemned thee?" He asked.
She humbly looked into His compassionate face and shook her head. "No man, Lord," she said.
"Neither do I condemn thee," Jesus said. "Go, and sin no more."
Do you think that woman skipped home? I do. The Messiah had just spared her life, and He had forgiven her of her sins. He gave her a second chance!
Those men in the village had been quick to point fingers at her and judge her, but Jesus was just as quick to forgive her.
And He is just as quick to forgive us today.
After the woman left, Jesus turned to the people He had been teaching and told them that He was the light of the world. I know that woman felt His light shine in the dark places of her heart that day. She no longer had to be afraid. She was no longer bound by her sin and fear. She was forgiven and free, and He had told her to sin no more.
Whenever a person met Jesus, he or she went away changed. The greatest thing about that is that Jesus is still the same. He is still the light of the world. He still offers forgiveness and redemption. He still tells us that we are not condemned if we just believe in Him.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16-17, emphasis added
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1, emphasis added
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. " John 5:24, emphasis added
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