In the book of John, chapter 8:1-11 we find an interesting story. Several men, Scribes and Pharisees, bring a woman to Jesus whom they found in the very act of adultery.
8 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 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.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 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.
7 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.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 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.
10 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?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
In this story, Jesus went into the temple and began to teach the people. Suddenly, a group of Scribes and Pharisees appeared with a woman that they caught committing the sin of adultery. They interrupted Jesus with a supposed urgent concern about how Jesus would handle the situation. Adultery in the Old Testament is defined as sexual acts between a married man and someone who is not their spouse. It is the seventh commandment that God gave the children of Israel, which simply states:
14Thou shall not commit adultery.
The punishment for this sin is outlined in Leviticus 20:10-12.
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
It is important to mention that in Matthew 5:27-28 of the New Testament, Jesus acknowledged that adultery, as previously identified, is still a sin He but broadened the concept.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
The Scribes and Pharisees are so indignant that this woman would commit the sin of adultery that they brought her to Jesus for His judgment. The act of adultery obviously requires two people, and yet, strangely enough, they only question Jesus about the woman. Leviticus 20:10 addresses the man first, and yet the accusers fail to present the man for judgment. Their outrage obviously has little to do with the woman’s sin. Instead, they meant to embarrass Jesus, disrupt his teaching session, and put Him in a quandary about how to proceed. If he had contradicted Moses and the seventh commandment, He would have been condemned as a false prophet. If He had condemned the woman to death, He would have been accused by the Romans of usurping authority. The entire ordeal was designed to be an entrapment for Jesus.
How did Jesus respond to the accusers? Initially, He ignored them, knelt, and began to write on the ground. When they continued to press Him, He absolutely shut them down when He stated these words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Matthew Henry says Christ owns that it was fit that the prisoner should be prosecuted but appealed to their consciences whether they were fit to be the prosecutors.
Whatever Jesus wrote on the ground when He knelt again is not recorded, but it had the desired effect. One by one, the men slowly excused themselves. Dake’s Annotated Bible lists six causes of conviction for the self-righteous men in note h. Pg. 180.
- Their own evil designs against Him, not so much against her.
- Their failure to include the man who was guilty with the woman.
- What Christ wrote on the ground.
- The challenge was to start throwing if they were sinless themselves.
- Their hypocrisy which was known to Christ and others present.
- Their guilt of committing the same sin. (Rom. 2:1)
When the accusers had all stealthily tipped away, and only the accused woman stood to face him, Jesus performed one of His signature acts. He did what only God could do. He forgave this woman of her sin, then cautioned her to sin no more. Yes, she was guilty of the sin of adultery, but she left that experience justified, just as though she had never committed the sin.
The Outcome of the Woman’s Sin. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, and that same forgiveness is available to you and me today for any sin that we commit if we repent. Can you imagine the relief that she must have felt when she left that awful experience forgiven? She still had her life and another opportunity to do things right. How wonderful it is to be set free from the bonds of sin by the Master. The chorus from Chris Tomlin’s song, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), applies to this forgiven woman of sin in the New Testament, your situation, and mine.
No longer bound, I’ve been set free.
My God, My Savior, has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace.
