John 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.”
One of the most poignant face-to-face encounters with Jesus was experienced by a woman who, initially at least, wanted to be anywhere but in His presence. Caught in the very act of adultery, she became a pawn in the Jewish leaders’ efforts to trap Jesus and find some basis on which to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Embarrassed and fearful, she was taken into the temple itself, to the place where Jesus sat teaching the crowd, and made to stand before them all—the scribes, the Pharisees, the people, and Jesus Himself—while her crime was made known and her fate was discussed.
The nature of the Jewish leaders’ trap for Jesus was not hard to see. If He questioned the Mosaic proscription that an adulteress be put to death, they would accuse Him of failing to keep the Law. But if he agreed that she should die, He risked the ire of Israel’s Roman overlords, who typically reserved for themselves the right to carry out executions in occupied lands. So Jesus would have to defy either Roman law or Jewish law.
There really was no third choice here, so Jesus did make a decision. He said the law of Moses must prevail— the woman should die. But then He appointed her executioners, saying that those of the Jewish leaders who were without sin should be the first to throw stones at her. Then He wrote on the ground, perhaps detailing the sins of each individual standing there, sins of which He was aware as the omniscient God. Soon the accusers felt the prick of conscience and began to trickle out, till no one was left in His presence except the woman.
There was a person there who was without sin and qualified to carry out the Law of Moses—Jesus. He was the author of that Law, and He would have been perfectly just to carry out the penalty. But He also had the sovereign right to have mercy on whomever He would. And so looking up and seeing no one left to condemn her, He said, “ ‘Neither do I condemn you.’ ” But He added, “ ‘Sin no more.’ ”
Perhaps more than any other in Scripture, this woman experienced the compassion of Christ. There was no doubt of her guilt; she had been caught in the act, and before the face of Christ she could not hide her sin. But she found mercy in His presence, and that is reason for all sinners to hope. Jesus forgives repentant sinners. (Sins Uncovered)
Coram Deo
Did Jesus see repentance in the woman’s heart? Like the woman, our sins are known by Christ and will not be hidden when we stand before Him. But He is compassionate toward those who trust in Him. If you have not sought His forgiveness, go to Him now and beg for mercy. He will not cast out anyone who comes to Him.
Questions
Do you have any hidden sins in your life?
Do you honor God in your Christian walk?
Are you ready to come Face to Face with God?
The compassion and the righteousness of our Savior are not at odds. In this message, R.C. Sproul calls attention to Jesus’ encounter with the adulterous woman, reminding us that it is not by our works but by the great mercy of God that we can stand in His presence. This message is from R.C. Sproul’s 13-part teaching series Face to Face with Jesus.
Scripture
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Psalm 128:1
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
Galatians 5:17
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
James 4:4
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
What is Fornication?
The Bible provides a clear definition of fornication, which refers to voluntary sexual intercourse between individuals who are not married to each other. This definition includes both premarital and adulterous relationships. Fornication is considered a sin according to biblical teachings, and it is important to understand its implications in the Christian lifestyle.
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