Scripture Text: John 8:2-11
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8:11
In another attempt to test Jesus and find something to accuse Him of, the Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery and set her before Him. They said to Jesus, “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:5). In response, in first in verse 6, Jesus bent over and started writing on the ground. In verse 7, and He stood up and said, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first one to throw a stone at her." In verse 8, He bent down and wrote on the ground. Then the Scripture says that one by one left and He “raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman” (verses 9&10).
John seems to be giving the impression that Jesus had been staring at what He had written on the ground. If He had been writing their names in the dirt (as many surmise), then by this time, as He stood back up, they all would have had time to read what He had written and left. Don’t you love how the only person who’s ever been worthy to judge others in this world, chose not to do so. He didn’t condemn her, even though she was guilty.
We must be careful to not misunderstand this, as Jesus will certainly judge the world one day, as He said in John 5:22, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” The reason Jesus came to earth the first time was to save the lost, not to condemn them.
When Jesus said, “go and sin no more,” He was literally saying, “go and don't sin again,” meaning, “leave your life of sin.” Jesus was not saying that this woman had to go on and live a perfect life until the day she dies because that is impossible. The truth is that every believer will fall into occasional sins as 1 John 1:8 states: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” So when Jesus said “sin no more,” He was talking about continual, habitual sins. To continue living in sin definitely condemns us for God hates sin. If we admit our sins to God and have a change of heart and mind to follow Him, forgiveness will be given to us.
It’s like the story of a guy who asked an old fisherman sitting on a fishing dock, “If I were to fall into this water, would I drown?” It was his awkward way of asking how deep the water was, but the fisherman had a good answer. “Nope,” he said. “Falling into the water doesn’t drown anybody. It’s staying under that does.” When a real relationship is started with Jesus and there has been real repentance and forgiveness, there will be real obvious changes in that person’s life: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If this woman who was caught in adultery truly allowed Jesus to forgive her, then she responded by allowing Him to bring lasting changes into her life.
Reflect
1. Was the life of the woman somehow same as yours?
2. Have you received the forgiveness of Jesus?
3. What are you going to do with the new start you've been given?
Remember
This woman was caught in the very act of adultery, humiliated, and about to be killed when Jesus steps in. She is saved! Saved from the mob. Saved from the law. Saved from her sin. She has a new start. This is what Jesus does for each of us! He forgives our sin and delivers us to a new life with a new start.
Read
Matthew 7:1-5; James 4:11-12; Leviticus 10:20
Pray
Dearest Father, help me to live as Your new creation, fully taking advantage of the forgiveness and deliverance You so graciously provided to me by sending Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.
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