John 8:1-11
Many of our devotions have covered the things that transpire in this passage of scripture, but we have yet to take a close look at it exclusively. There are things contained here that shed such glorious light on the mission and message of Jesus that to look at it only in passing is to do a great disservice to the glorious New Covenant.
The men that bring the woman caught in the act of adultery are within their Jewish rights to do so: she was caught sleeping with a married man, thus she is guilty. My question is, “Where is the man?” These men are not concerned with actually keeping the Law, simply with seeing if they can catch Jesus in a trap. Mosaic Law says that the adulteress be stoned to death, so they are morbidly curious to see what Jesus will say.
Jesus “stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground” (John 8:6). Much speculation has been made over the centuries as to what He wrote. Some say that He may have written down their hidden sins to remind them what they had done. Others think He may have written out the 10 Commandments or some other fine point of Law. Whatever it was, it did nothing to convince the crowd who “continued asking Him” (verse 7).
It may be more important to note where He wrote than to know what He wrote. They find Him sitting in the temple courtyard, which was a broad floor of smooth stone. The floor would have been covered with a rather thick layer of dust as there was no way to stop the foot dust from flying in off of the streets. When Jesus wrote on the ground, He was actually writing on the stone floor, pushing the dust the way one might write “Wash Me” on the back glass of a dirty vehicle. Though the words have been lost to history, the method still preaches its importance.
After instructing the men that they who were without sin should cast the first stone, the crowd drops their rocks and disperses, one by one. Jesus has given them permission to kill the girl, thus fulfilling Mosaic Law. Notice that He never told them not to kill her; He just told them to be sure that they were qualified. She certainly deserved to die, but did they deserve to be the ones to execute her?
Jesus turns to the woman and asks her where her accusers have gone. He is pointing out to her that she is free to go, for there is no one left standing who was an eye witness to her crime. Instead of running, she stays near the man that writes on the ground and He gives her the gift of no condemnation, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
God wrote the 10 Commandments (Law) with His own finger on Mt. Sinai. Jesus will later call Himself “I Am” (John 8:58) in this very chapter. When He wrote on the ground of the temple, Jesus was using the same finger that had etched the Law into stone to write a new law in our hearts. The Old Covenant demanded that all sinners die, but the New Covenant has provided one man to die for us all. We could never cast the first stone, for we all deserve to die, but Jesus has written His love and grace on the stones of our temple and we can now all go free.
You have been given the gift of no condemnation, now go and sin no more.
Many of our devotions have covered the things that transpire in this passage of scripture, but we have yet to take a close look at it exclusively. There are things contained here that shed such glorious light on the mission and message of Jesus that to look at it only in passing is to do a great disservice to the glorious New Covenant.
The men that bring the woman caught in the act of adultery are within their Jewish rights to do so: she was caught sleeping with a married man, thus she is guilty. My question is, “Where is the man?” These men are not concerned with actually keeping the Law, simply with seeing if they can catch Jesus in a trap. Mosaic Law says that the adulteress be stoned to death, so they are morbidly curious to see what Jesus will say.
Jesus “stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground” (John 8:6). Much speculation has been made over the centuries as to what He wrote. Some say that He may have written down their hidden sins to remind them what they had done. Others think He may have written out the 10 Commandments or some other fine point of Law. Whatever it was, it did nothing to convince the crowd who “continued asking Him” (verse 7).
It may be more important to note where He wrote than to know what He wrote. They find Him sitting in the temple courtyard, which was a broad floor of smooth stone. The floor would have been covered with a rather thick layer of dust as there was no way to stop the foot dust from flying in off of the streets. When Jesus wrote on the ground, He was actually writing on the stone floor, pushing the dust the way one might write “Wash Me” on the back glass of a dirty vehicle. Though the words have been lost to history, the method still preaches its importance.
After instructing the men that they who were without sin should cast the first stone, the crowd drops their rocks and disperses, one by one. Jesus has given them permission to kill the girl, thus fulfilling Mosaic Law. Notice that He never told them not to kill her; He just told them to be sure that they were qualified. She certainly deserved to die, but did they deserve to be the ones to execute her?
Jesus turns to the woman and asks her where her accusers have gone. He is pointing out to her that she is free to go, for there is no one left standing who was an eye witness to her crime. Instead of running, she stays near the man that writes on the ground and He gives her the gift of no condemnation, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
God wrote the 10 Commandments (Law) with His own finger on Mt. Sinai. Jesus will later call Himself “I Am” (John 8:58) in this very chapter. When He wrote on the ground of the temple, Jesus was using the same finger that had etched the Law into stone to write a new law in our hearts. The Old Covenant demanded that all sinners die, but the New Covenant has provided one man to die for us all. We could never cast the first stone, for we all deserve to die, but Jesus has written His love and grace on the stones of our temple and we can now all go free.
You have been given the gift of no condemnation, now go and sin no more.
