So last week, we saw how the questions about Jesus divided the Jews into two camps: those who believed, and those whose power depended on His death. And the week before, we saw why those Jews needed His death- He was overthrowing the structure of their power, and was destroying their "godhood" over the people. If I get there this week, next they will attack, not through the Law via Moses- where Jesus bested them already- but through ancestry, through Abraham. But in between, the famous "cast the first stone" story. Here, let John tell it:
Joh 8:2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
Joh 8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
Joh 8:4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
Joh 8:5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
Joh 8:6 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.
Joh 8:7 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."
Joh 8:8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
Joh 8:9 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.
Joh 8:10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
Joh 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
First thing to see, Jesus was teaching those willing to listen. The leaders had no desire to hear any of this; to even listen, and agree on a single point, would name them 'deceived', by their own accusation. A lot like politics today; how much more could be done if either side was willing to actually work on what was good for the people, instead of fearing that one step backwards would lose them everything. One thing in reading these last couple of chapters made me realize is, there had to be at least some, if not MOST, of these wretches that KNEW in their hearts Jesus was the Messiah; they simply knew the Scriptures too well to not realize it. But for their power, their control over the people, and for fear that the Romans would bring it all down at the slightest provocation, they dare not admit it. Messiah or heretic, He HAD to go.
And caring not what they were interrupting, they brought something that, according to the Law, He could NOT ignore. But what was it they were bringing?
A woman supposedly caught in the very act of adultery. Who caught her? Certainly not a husband, else he would have been there raging right along with them. A wife? Boy, that testimony would have opened a whole new bunch of precedents for women testifying against men, and I doubt even for Jesus they'd risk THAT. A peeping tom? A pervert? A random burglar?
Or if those seem too outlandish, there remain two options. One, the event never happened- she was bullied into going along with it. Two, it was one of them- conveniently not brought along- in a 'sting' operation. I believe it was the second- and the sting-er was quickly hustled out of the area.
Now, thought they, Jesus would have a choice: Fulfill the Law, and order her stoned. Which would likely have driven the coming believers away. Two, ignore the Law, and invalidate Himself in the eyes of the Law. That way, even if He WAS who He claimed, He would have 'failed his messiah-ship'.
But Jesus saw it, of course, with the view of God. Where was the sin? The woman committing adultery? Yes, if it happened- and by her end reaction, I suppose it did. But far from the worst sin. How many had these men committed? First, the unpardonable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit, by which they should have believed in Him. This would also include the ones who knew who He was, and rejected Him anyway. Second, if I am correct, the sting operation that brought the woman there was itself a worse sin. Third, they were invalidating the Law they were using to accuse her:
Deu 22:22 "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. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
They couldn't have caught her in the act of adultery BY HERSELF; where was the man? They tried to sidestep this in their phrasing of the accusation...
Joh 8:5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
As if Jesus didn't know every jot and tittle of the Law. He could have condemned them to hell on the spot for this blasphemy; instead, He seemingly ignored them, bending down to write on the ground. He gave them time to repent of what they were about to do. GAVE THEM TIME. How merciful You are! But instead of repenting, or even thinking, they went on badgering Him...
...And as they continued to ask him...
So He pulled the spring on the trap they set for themselves...
...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 returned to writing on the ground. What was it He was writing? We don't know for sure. Perhaps it went like this...
Simon, denied Me in his prayers...
Nahum, talked the man into sleeping with her...
Jonah, paid witnesses to corroborate...
And as each saw their own name in the sand, they realized what they were seeing was much like another hand they knew, writing...
Dan 5:24 "Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
Dan 5:25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.
Dan 5:26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
Dan 5:27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
Dan 5:28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
...only changing "Medes and Persians" to "Gentiles and Romans". And as they walked away, they were surrendering their ability to stand as 'righteous' before Jesus- they had ADMITTED their sins.
Jesus had NOT said the woman didn't deserve stoning; the Jews had to withdraw their charge. Thus, Jesus didn't ask her, "Why aren't you dead?", but, "Has no one condemned you?" And as no one had; and with human eyes, He didn't see the crime; He pardoned her- with the admonition to never do it again.
Like I said, I didn't know if I would get to the next step, and I won't. Good thing, because next comes the next great attempt to legitimize their attack. They had tried to stand on the Law, and failed; they had tried to stand on righteousness, and failed miserably. Next time, they will try to stand on the thickness of blood versus Living Water.
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