John 8:1-11
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand in the midst of the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. what do you say?”
Let me start off by sharing with you something you may already know about this story but for those of you who don’t know…it’s common knowledge in theological circles that chapter [7:53 to 8:2] is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts…as a result…many believe the story of the woman caught in adultery was almost certainly not part of John’s original Gospel.
The text-critical evidence is overwhelming…this story was added later at an undetermined time and for unknown reasons.
There are thousands of Greek manuscripts which do include this story and only three that don’t…problem is the three which do not include this story are the earliest and most reliable. SO, how should the church treat this passage?
First…we must be honest with the text-critical evidence that denies any verifiable possibility that this story was in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of John…as Southern Baptists we believe in the inerrancy of the Bible… ‘if it’s in the Bible it’s true and it’s without error’.
I want to share with you some history regarding this story…I cannot in good conscience merely just tell you the story is true and you should believe it because I’m the Pastor or because it’s in the Bible without offering you evidence that this story rightly deserves to be part of John’s Gospel.
I look at this story from a different angle…that there are arguments to support why this text was deleted rather than it being added.
The facts of history indicate that during the early years of Christianity adultery was regarded so serious that if it could be forgiven at all it was only after severe self-punishment…so the thinking was Jesus’ forgiveness of this sin was too easy.
Such being the case, it is more reasonable to believe that the prejudice against this story by over-zealous disciplinarians was to leave it out…their motive in deleting it was a stronger motive than for keeping it in.
So, the historical evidence favors the belief that this story was actually deleted from the text rather than being added to it.
In the opening verses [John 7:53-8:2] describes the breaking up of the council meeting in which ‘everyone went to his home’ [7:53] …the next two verses [8:1-2] tell us what Jesus did in the meantime and thereafter…early the next morning Jesus ‘came again into the temple’.
This story’s placement in the New Testament between 7:52 and 8:12 is the only location in which these introductory verses fit the context.
And lastly…early in the Christian Church it had become the custom throughout the Church to read John 7:37-8:12 on the day of Pentecost…this lesson begins in John 7:38-39 with the introduction of the day in which the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would occur.
He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified
The problem was the lesson of the woman caught in adultery was placed right in the middle of the Pentecost reading that continues back up again in [v 12] …so this story was deemed inappropriate to include it…so rather than reading [8:2-11] they just omitted it… an additional reason why the early Church may have had it removed.
As time went by well-intentioned scribes who did not want the church to lose the importance of this story placed it back into the Greek manuscripts…a story that describes an actual event from the life of Christ.
So rather than arguing that this story is not a part of the original manuscripts but was added…I prefer to believe it was there but was removed and then reinserted back in.
In this story we see two things: First…the character of God…but also contained in this story is the obvious legalistic trap by the self-righteous Pharisees to discredit Jesus…and it’s all done at the expense of this poor woman.
There are a couple reasons to indicate this was nothing more than an attempt to trap Jesus into incriminating Himself:
…FIRST…where was the man in the story? Why wasn’t he dragged before Jesus as well…maybe because he was one of her accusers?
…SECONDLY…the law required that witnesses to the adultery be produced and that a witness begin the execution…obviously there were none.
The story unfolds in four stages.
First stage sets the scene (7:45-8:2). The events of this story actually begin in [7:45] …the chapter break distracts from the story.
There’s a meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees taking place on the last day of the feast (7:37) with the officers asking the chief priests and Pharisees: ‘Why did you not bring Him? [7:45]
Look at their response…because
‘Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks’ [46]
They originally had gone to apprehend Jesus…but when they heard Jesus’ teaching, they found Him to be a different person than what their masters had portrayed Him to be.
What they found was a man who spoke as no other man had ever spoken…with so much grace…power…majesty…and eloquence…so they left Him alone…surely if their masters would only hear Him, they would acknowledge their own mistaken ideas about Him.
Without even hearing what Jesus was saying the response from the officers was:
‘You have not also been led astray, have you?’ [47]
This read funny because again…there’s that negative participle μή inserted in the question that expects a ‘NO’ response…what the officers are expecting in response to their question is: ‘no we haven’t been led astray.’
Now the officers who sent the men to arrest Jesus attempt to use some ‘logic’ …you guys are ruled by us…guided by us…we are your rulers and your teachers…do you see any of us believing in Him? …again, the negative participle μή is inserted in the question expecting a ‘NO’ response…could read…you see none of us believing in Him.
On the surface it may seem that the religious leaders who didn’t accept Jesus as Lord were just merely passive about who He was…that they were just neutral about Jesus …the reality is these men hated Jesus…they wanted Him dead…they had no desire to hear Him let alone follow Him.
The very men whose job it was to perform the works of God by doing sacrifices… doing temple work…who were supposed to be men of God…are actually fighting against the very person their whole life and world revolved around.
Here’s the danger…being in close proximity to God…having family members who are Christians…doing the things of God…being in church…being a church member …working in the church…doing Churchie things…won’t save you.
This report the officers got back is a little troubling to them…if they weren’t mad before, they are now…the men they sent to arrest Jesus are now acknowledging that Jesus may be more than just a man…they realize that there is something different than what they had been told or heard before about Him.
An additional problem was there were a couple Pharisees who did believe in Jesus. One in particular was Nicodemus…a man of great wealth and prominence…a member of the ruling council of Israel whose comments reflect his belief that Jesus is innocent [7:50-51].
Imagine this… The men who hate Jesus send their underlings after Jesus…when the men return, they not only return empty handed but they’re basically telling these priests and Pharisees that “Jesus is a better teacher than all of you.” Probably not what they are wanting to hear. That guy you sent us after…He is really good.
The second stage of the story (8:3-6) describes the callous and demeaning treatment of the woman they bring to Him…this is serious…this women’s death is imminent…she’s about to be killed unless something miraculous happens…and happen quickly.
They cruelly put her literally in the midst of the crowd in public humiliation [8:3]
Having set her in the middle (of them) [3]
other translations read; “in full view of everyone” or “before them all” …she is facing death and the Scribes and Pharisees are expecting Jesus, a Jewish male, to be responsible and condemn her…to be an active participant.
Scripture reveals their real motive for bringing this woman to Jesus…their sole purpose in seeking His advice is only for the purpose of trapping Him in His own words whereby they could judge Him…all at the expense of this woman.
They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him…’ [6]
Here’s Jesus dilemma…if Jesus consented to stone the woman according to the law of Moses He could have been arrested and charged with breaking Roman law because the Romans did not allow Jews to execute their own criminals.
BUT…by refusing to stone her and letting her go free…it could result in Jesus being charged by the Jews for violating the law of Moses by not having her stoned.
Obviously…they were trying to catch him in a trap…it seems whatever the decision He can’t win…He will be either violating Roman law by having her killed or He’ll be violating Jewish Law by not having her killed.
The third stage, Jesus’ response to His opponents (v. 6-9) …He writes with his finger on the ground…couple things…FIRST…why did Jesus write in the dust?
It has been pointed out [Kenneth E. Bailey] that if this were the eighth day of the feast, which was to be kept as a day of rest, even writing was unlawful…oral interpretation of the Law meant that you were performing work.
BUT writing with dust was permissible (m. shabbat 7:2; 12:5) …so…writing on the ground would have revealed a couple things…one…that Jesus not only knew the law but secondly…He’s revealing He also knows the oral interpretation of the Law.
Secondly…what did Jesus write in the dust that was so significant?
What was it that it causes these men to walk away one at time…no one knows what Jesus wrote in the dust…anyone suggesting they do is pure speculation…However there are some ideas as to what may have been written.
–First…It is possible what Jesus was writing was an Old Testament passage [Jer. 17:13]
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, thereby turning it into a form of condemnation against them…by writing their names in the dust it was a judgment against them by writing in the dirt.
–Secondly…because they persisted [8:7] what He writes on the ground is again…a condemnation against them…maybe knowing they were also in an adulterous relationship…He begins writing the names of their girlfriends down…but no one knows for sure.
When Jesus calls for the one without sin to cast the first stone, He accomplishes several things:
— it relieves Jesus from the charge of having instigated the stoning.
— it ensures there will be no stoning, since none of the accusers will want to take responsibility and cast the first stone.
— it causes them to reflect on their own sinfulness before God
This story is not so much about an adulterous woman…but is more of what we talked about previously…people who are prone to judge.
People caught up in the rush to exact justice for either actual or perceived faults and failings of others…people unwilling or unable to see themselves in another person’s situation…this goes back to what Jesus said
Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment [7:24].
FIRST…the judgment we make cannot be based on our own standards…or personal opinions…those have no part in spiritual matters…the standard by which we judge is the words of Jesus.
SECOND…we cannot make inconsistent judgments or judge with partiality…we cannot judge one more strictly than another when both are guilty of the same error. Righteous judgment must be fair and just…that must be the basic foundation of all judgment.
THIRDLY…we cannot make judgments merely as a response to someone judging us…making judgments about others only because they said something that convicted you of your sin…so in return you now accuse them of something…that is not judgment…it’s called getting even.
FOURTHLY…if we are called on to judge…we should judge with mercy…judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy…(James 2:13)
We will be judged with the same measure of judgment we have used on others.
(Matthew 7:2). I’m sure that we all desire mercy to be shown to us when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ so we should think about how we judge others.
FINALLY, here’s the hardest thing to consider when asked to judge…to judge with no regard for possible consequences…sadly, some withhold judgment because they fear losing favor…fear of physical threats…or fear of financial loss…so for them
judgment is based on consequences…that cannot be called “righteous”!
This prepares us for the fourth stage of the story–Jesus’ response to the woman (v.10-11) …He doesn’t ask her about the charges…but rather
Where are they? Has no one condemned you? [v. 10)]
Those five points I just shared all have to do with how we are to judge others… here’s how God judges us with respect to His righteous judgment.
Said this last week…I have some tell me ‘you preach too much about a condemning God rather than about a loving God’…we prefer the idea ‘that God is good all the time.’
A misquoted verse by Joel Osteen and Rick Warren seems to confirm that idea by using Scripture that seems to echo that thought… ‘it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance’. [Rom. 2:4]
Now…that is a partial verse from the Bible…and as nice as that sounds…that verse taken out of context doesn’t address two important elements about God.
FIRST…Let me push back a little on you this morning…I’m going to say a couple things that may shock you…the first one is…God’s love is not unconditional…the idea that God loves you unconditionally is not is the Bible.
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son…” does not say that God loves mankind but that He loved them. The Greek verb “agapao” (loved) is in the aorist tense and indicative mood…a single completed act; not a present tense love, but a past tense loved.
God’s love is not an unconditional saving love that He has for everybody or else everybody would be saved…if Salvation was automatic no one would have to meet any conditions to be saved…that’s why there are conditions to being saved.
It’s not God’s love that admits us into Heaven when we die…it’s having faith and believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior. [Romans 10:9)
God’s love is not automatically extended to everyone…God’s love works all things together for good but only to ‘those who love Him’ [Romans 8:28].
God demonstrated His love for us in Jesus’ willingness to die on the Cross…not in our place…what Jesus did on the Cross was NOT take anyone’s place…BUT He offered Himself as a sin offering, [Heb 9:14] not to take our place.
So, God is love and God is good all the time…but it’s a love that is conditional.
Here’s the SECOND element about God…you cannot not talk about God’s love without mentioning God’s judgment…when you look at Romans 2nd chapter that’s the central idea associated with [Rom. 2:4] that Olstein and Warren leave out.
It’s God’s righteous judgment…God seeing sin for what it is…it’s not God getting even…it’s not God saying I understand …it’s not God just accepting what we’ve done as…OK you’re not the only one doing that…God’s righteous judgment includes a day when God renders to each person according to their deeds. [2.5]
Here’s what God’ righteous judgment is: it’s God judging us fairly according to His standards based on our choices.
That is what makes God a loving God because He is a just God…people confuse God’s anger and wrath by putting them in human terms… ‘someone has wronged me, and I am making every effort to hurt them as much as I can’ … that is not how God functions.
Here’s the key to God’s judgment…He uses righteous judgment that includes holding us accountable for our actions but in a spirit of gentleness…seeking restoration and helping us back into fellowship with Him…not condemning us [Rom. 8:1].
So here we have Jesus…He’s left alone sitting on the ground writing in the dirt…with this woman standing before him…Jesus speaks these stunning words to her: I do not condemn you [11]
WHAT?? …it’s apparent that God has just violated His own commandment regarding adultery by letting her go unpunished…that is the exact reason some scholars removed this story from the Bible…Jesus is way too soft on this sin…how could He possible say that to her…just let her go with no consequences to her sin.
Now we see the love of God…it is God’s intent to fully punish her to the full extent of His law…but she wasn’t the one who would be punished…she would go free… Jesus would be the one punished in her place.
But there’s something else that’s included in that statement that gets overlooked …it’s amazing how often Scripture is quoted but key words or ideas are left out.
Go, from now on sin no more
Let me share another confusing statement about God’s love…the first one was God’s love is not unconditional…here’s another one for you and it’s in the form of a song…it’s titled: “God Loves you Just the Way that You Are’ …let me shock you again…NO HE DOESN’T…God does not love you just the way you are.
Let me explain…notice a couple things about this woman:
…FIRST…she doesn’t claim to be the victim of ‘a false accusation’ …she doesn’t defend herself, saying: ‘I didn’t commit adultery’ … ‘they got it all wrong’ …she is apparently prepared to accept her fate.
…SECONDLY…notice the reaction by Jesus…Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman. He doesn’t lecture her about the sixth commandment…He doesn’t tell her how much she has hurt her family…He doesn’t remind her how much she has disgraced herself…Jesus doesn’t humiliate the woman…BUT…neither does He overlook her sin.
The usual interpretation of ‘neither do I condemn you’ is that Jesus in His good nature is flexible…tolerant…and not willing to be judgmental toward her.
Here’s the danger in that according to St. Augustine…goes back to that ‘God is good all the time’ …we deceive ourselves into believing we can do whatever we please in the belief that God in His goodness and mercy will simply overlook it…believing we have no need for repentance because God will save us regardless.
That is ridiculous!! Jesus was declaring to this woman…I’m allowing you to slip out of your punishment…But: using modern terms… ‘you had better stop what you’re doing…you were fortunate this time…you must cease your sinful behavior.’
Jesus takes you just the way you are… ‘Just as I Am’ …He accepts you just the way you are but nowhere does it say God loves you just the way you are.
That’s something else about God’s love…His love won’t leave you in your present condition…Jesus could have said: ‘your sins are forgiven’ …but Jesus goes further and counsels the woman ‘to sin no more.’
In saying, ‘Go and sin no more,’ Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection…He was warning her against a return to a lifestyle of sinful choices…His words reflect the perfect balance of “grace and truth” (John 1:14)…forgiveness is not cheap, and it does not excuse the sin that separated us from God.
With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will naturally want to obey Him [John 14:15].
When we come to Christ and receive His forgiveness, we experience a heart change [Luke 9:23; Acts 1:8]. We cannot experience the transforming power of forgiveness without being forever changed.
Every one of us, in a sense, is that woman…our sins stand exposed before God as much as that woman’s did…like her our condemnation is deserved…and yet, Jesus speaks the same words to us: ‘Neither do I condemn you.’
Why? Because He has been condemned in your place…ALL your guilt has been removed…you have been declared not guilty.
So there are a number of key takeaways:
—Jesus demonstrated grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
—God calls us to turn from sin and in turn, offers forgiveness.
—God offers all people a chance to repent and begin a new life.
But all that is conditional on you doing something.