JOHN 8:2-11 – Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “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?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
THEME OF THE DAY: FIVE GREATEST WORDS EVER HEARD. It might take a little bit of thought to produce the answer to the theme of today’s nugget so allow me to offer some help. It is in today’s scripture and spoken by Jesus. As we search and ponder, let’s establish the scene.
A woman has been caught in the act of adultery. A group of religious zealots, Pharisees and scribes, brought the woman before them and Jesus. What is noticeably absent in them is compassion for the woman She was merely a pawn, a tool to be used for their self-serving intentions – trap Jesus. Pause for a moment. We cannot quickly jump and bring judgment upon these hard-hearted scribes and Pharisees. How easily we might be like them in dealing with people, even our own family members. We might be quick to call out sin but not with a heart of compassion seeking to help them be restored. Oh, we may speak truth but not in love. Francis Shaeffer once said, “Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is the ugliest thing in the world.” And oh how ugly were these religious groups who spoke truth but not in love. Let them be a warning to us.
The scene continues with Jesus being brought into it. The woman was placed before Him and the crowd and the futile, even blasphemous, questioning to Jesus began – 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? This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Now it gets exciting. Jesus remains silent as the Pharisees and scribes press on Him for an answer. The silence must have seemed like an eternity but then Jesus speaks. The words were not what the religious groups thought or wanted to hear – “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” They went from heartless accusation to heartfelt conviction and one by one, they left. Imagine the scene now. Jesus and the woman. Alone. She might have been thinking, “Now what? The Pharisees and scribes didn’t condemn me, a guilty woman that I am. Is He going to? Is He going to bring my already condemning heart to light with words of condemnation?” And now comes the five greatest words ever heard – “Neither do I condemn you.” The only Person who righty could condemn her didn’t. Let’s remember who He is. She is standing before the One whose law she broke, yet, she is freed – no condemnation from Jesus.
Friends, we stand as condemned as the woman and if we are trusting the Lord Jesus for our forgiveness and right standing with God, the five greatest words ever heard are for our ears too! Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You that all the condemnation due me for breaking Your law was placed on Jesus.”
QUOTE: “When the Lord says, ‘There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus”, that is permanent.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim