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.  

The word caught here is a telling one, because to be caught in adultery there had to be a man present and 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 scribes and Pharisees had such a disregard for women, they weren't bothered about the fate of the man, and used this woman's sinful activity to try to trip up Jesus, using the very Law He had given to Moses. 

 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. It seemed like Jesus was in a lose/lose situation so what did He do?

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 and mercy - bringing the woman from darkness into His glorious light.   

The scribes and Pharisees weren't going to let this issue lie so 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? Was one of the scribes or Pharisees guilty of setting this woman up with one of their followers? 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. He was also showing the woman that no matter the sin and failings in our lives He can heal us! 

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 and although we're not told if this woman did repent and follow Jesus, He showed her that His heart is full of love, grace and mercy for sinners such as she was. 

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! 

Some lessons:

• No sin is too great to be forgiven. 
• Being religious never saves anybody because we still have sinful hearts which need to be dealt with
• Jesus is the friend of sinners, whether male or female, because He went to the cross to take the penalty we deserve so that on Judgement Day He will stand in our place and say - I took their punishment, so they are no longer guilty. 

Father, forgive THEM

These are famous words which Jesus spoke as He hung on the cross, but have you ever wondered who the 'them' were? Let's look at some Scriptures of events leading up to His crucifixion. 

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Matthew 26:3-5

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:1,2

The people above were the religious leaders of the day. Those who supposedly knew the Old Testament Scriptures inside out, which told them that the Messiah would come and be a sacrifice (Number 21:9;John 3:14; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) yet they wanted to kill Jesus - this Man who had showed them up, by pointing out their hypocrisy and their sinful hearts, calling them 'white washed sepulchres (Matthew 23:27). More than likely they were at the cross watching the spectacle. 

PETER, ONE OF THE DISCIPLES 

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

Matthew 26:34

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter, the disciple who was fiercely loyal, who declared Jesus as being THE Christ (Matthew 16:16), who said he would never deny Christ (Matthew 26:35), did deny Christ 3 times, but Jesus forgave him and after His resurrection, Peter was called to spread the message of the gospel - he was fearless in doing that, to the point where tradition has it that he too was crucified. 

THOSE WHO HELD JESUS - RELIGIOUS LEADERS, ROMANS

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

Luke 22:63-65

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

John 19:1-3

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Mark 15:16-20

These people went all out to hurt and humiliate Jesus. They slapped Him, mocked Him spat on Him, beat Him

FALSE WITNESSES BROUGHT TO TESTIFY AGAINST JESUS

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” But not even then did their testimony agree.

Mark 14:55-59

THE CROWD - ORDINARY PEOPLE

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Mark 15:11-15

The ordinary people who had gathered had been stirred up by the religious leaders - I have read in the past, that they may have been paid to be against Christ. We don't know who the people were, but more than likely they had probably heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, been those who cheered when Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, lay palm leaves on the ground and shouted Hosanna!

All of the people above, from the religious leaders, the Roman governors, soldiers and even the disciples played their part in the arrest. The so called witnesses were liars who had probably been paid by the religious leaders. YET Jesus could look down as He hung in agony (apparently crucifixion was a slow and very painful death) and pray to His Father for forgiveness. Not forgiveness for 'nice' people, but for people who were Jesus's enemies, turncoats, traitors. NOBODY is too much of a sinner to come to the cross and ask for Jesus to turn their lives around, to give them a new heart, to have His light shine into their souls and make them ALIVE in Him! 

Until I became a Christian, I know in my heart that I would have been with the crowd shouting "Crucify Him!" because Jesus and His message is an offense to those who are perishing, we don't like to be told we are sinners BUT only Jesus can change us (Yes, we remain sinners, but sin no longer has dominion in our hearts) because He lived the perfect life we could not and died the death we deserve!

Before I became a Christian - I was one of 'them'!