Scriptures: John 7:53-8:11
The Woman Caught in Adultery
John 7:53-8:11
Everyone went to his own house, 8:1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle, 4 they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”
6 They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”
8 Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 9 They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
10 Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”
Heb 4:12-13 ISV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart.
No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.
Jesus, the Word become flesh, knew what was in men’s hearts. They were condemning this woman, but they had no right to because of the hidden sins in their own hearts. Like a two-edged sword, what Jesus wrote on the ground cut into the hearts without his saying a word.
The only one who had the right to condemn this woman, the One without sin, did not. Instead he forgave her and told her to sin no more. She expected to die by stoning, but Jesus gave her life and a second chance.
John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.”
“Being convicted by their conscience…”
That is one of the works of the Holy Spirit – to convict our conscience.
The difference between condemnation (which the devil does) and conviction, is that condemnation is general, e.g., “you are a failure – you’ll never be any good…”, whereas conviction hits right on the sore spot of the heart. We know exactly what we must repent of, so we can be set free.