Rending the Veil Part 6: The Woman Caught in Adultery

 John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

It was around about dawn, according to the original word in the Greek (Orthros) when Jesus went to the Temple again to teach. As He was teaching the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in adultery. They were disrespectful to Jesus because He was teaching, but they wanted to find Him guilty of something and to discredit Him. 

According to Leviticus 20:10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.' and Deuteronomy 22:22 “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.” both parties should have been put to death, so one must wonder where the man was? The religious leaders didn't seem to be bothered about the fate of the man.  Was this a set up so that the scribes and Pharisees could trip up Jesus because they brought this law up when the presented the lady Him.  v4 "they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”" - this was a test for Jesus because if He said "stone her!" then He would lose His reputation as the friend of sinners, but if He said "Don't stone her!" they would accuse Him of condoning adultery. 

Instead of answering straight away, Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground as if He hadn't heard the question. We're not told what He wrote, but this isn't the point of the account. Here we see Jesus showing grace - bringing the woman from darkness into His glorious light! 

The scribes and Pharisees weren't going to let this issue lie, they continued to ask Him. Jesus stood up and addressed them saying “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (v7) "And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground."  Was Jesus giving them time to think about what He had said and make them realise that they too were sinners and as guilty as the woman they were accusing? One by one the woman's accusers left. Their consciences were pricked and they had no more to say, because of their guilt. 

The scribes and Pharisees were self righteous, but Jesus confronted their hearts and they were left with nothing to say. 

After they had all departed, Jesus and the woman remained. This is such a beautiful insight of Jesus' mercy and grace: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

The words of Jesus "go and sin more more." echo throughout eternity because all who earnestly call on His name will be saved. They will no longer be condemned because His work at Calvary bore the punishment we deserve. 

When Jesus said "go and sin no more.” doesn't mean we no longer sin, but when we follow Christ and make Him Master over our lives, we aren't happy with our sin and go out of our way to do the things which God doesn't want us to do anymore! 

No sin is too great to be forgiven.