John 7:53-8:11
And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” – John 8:11b
Most early Greek manuscripts omit John 7:53–8:11. Many biblical scholars affirm that this was a real event. Among the four Gospels in the New Testament, only the Apostle John recorded this incident.
By the time we reach John 7, the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees has intensified. The Pharisees, determined to eliminate Jesus, used this incident as a trap to ensnare Him. At that time, the Jewish political authorities did not have the power to enforce the death penalty, while Mosaic Law explicitly required that both the adulterer and the adulteress be put to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22–24). Jesus was thus caught between following Roman rule or adhering to Jewish religious law.
Moses’ teaching states, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman….. ” (Deuteronomy 22:22). The religious leaders said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (vv. 4–5). Though they appeared to be seeking Jesus’ opinion, their true intention was to trap Him. As religious leaders, they did not fully follow Moses’ teaching: they brought the woman forward and made her stand before the crowd, yet the guilty man was nowhere to be seen!
Upon hearing the scribes and Pharisees, “Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” (v. 6) As they persisted in questioning Him, Jesus straightened up and said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (v. 7). Then He bent down again and continued writing on the ground (v. 8). The author did not specify what Jesus wrote, but His actions revealed both wisdom and compassion.
Jesus often did not answer people’s questions directly but redirected their focus to matters of life. His words, ” Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her!” (v. 7), struck to the core of the lives of the scribes and Pharisees! Their consciences bore witness that none of them were sinless. The accusers and the accused were both guilty before God.
To the adulterous woman, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”(v11) Jesus never takes a casual attitude toward sin; He does not condone it or compromise with it. His advice to the woman: stop habitually sinning; defile and waste your life!
Reflection:
Jesus turning people’s attention to life. Do we pay attention to our lives?
Prayer:
Abba Father, thank You for giving us Your only Son, our Lord Jesus! Through today’s devotion, we see His wisdom and compassion! We earnestly ask You to grant us a heart that longs to know, experience, and wholeheartedly follow Jesus so that our lives may fully reflect His beauty! In the victorious name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
Most early Greek manuscripts omit John 7:53–8:11. Many biblical scholars affirm that this was a real event. Among the four Gospels in the New Testament, only the Apostle John recorded this incident.
By the time we reach John 7, the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees has intensified. The Pharisees, determined to eliminate Jesus, used this incident as a trap to ensnare Him. At that time, the Jewish political authorities did not have the power to enforce the death penalty, while Mosaic Law explicitly required that both the adulterer and the adulteress be put to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22–24). Jesus was thus caught between following Roman rule or adhering to Jewish religious law.
Moses’ teaching states, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman….. ” (Deuteronomy 22:22). The religious leaders said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (vv. 4–5). Though they appeared to be seeking Jesus’ opinion, their true intention was to trap Him. As religious leaders, they did not fully follow Moses’ teaching: they brought the woman forward and made her stand before the crowd, yet the guilty man was nowhere to be seen!
Upon hearing the scribes and Pharisees, “Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” (v. 6) As they persisted in questioning Him, Jesus straightened up and said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (v. 7). Then He bent down again and continued writing on the ground (v. 8). The author did not specify what Jesus wrote, but His actions revealed both wisdom and compassion.
Jesus often did not answer people’s questions directly but redirected their focus to matters of life. His words, ” Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her!” (v. 7), struck to the core of the lives of the scribes and Pharisees! Their consciences bore witness that none of them were sinless. The accusers and the accused were both guilty before God.
To the adulterous woman, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”(v11) Jesus never takes a casual attitude toward sin; He does not condone it or compromise with it. His advice to the woman: stop habitually sinning; defile and waste your life!
Reflection:
Jesus turning people’s attention to life. Do we pay attention to our lives?
Prayer:
Abba Father, thank You for giving us Your only Son, our Lord Jesus! Through today’s devotion, we see His wisdom and compassion! We earnestly ask You to grant us a heart that longs to know, experience, and wholeheartedly follow Jesus so that our lives may fully reflect His beauty! In the victorious name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!