Testing Jesus

Intro.

As we walk through the ending of the Feast of Booths with Jesus, as we hear His teaching of Himself and the Holy Spirit, we now come to a familiar story to many.

But what have we seen recently?

Plots to kill Jesus

“Judge w/ righteous judgments”

Jesus’ claims to be God (having seen God, knowing God, being sent from God)

Promises of the Spirit to those who come to Jesus and believe

The people are divided over Him

The servants of Pharisees, “No one ever spoke like this!”

John 7:53–8:11 CSB

53 [Then each one went to his house. 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

Does anyone have brackets or a footnote about this passage?

It does not exist in the ancient manuscripts of John’s Gospel, and only a few will put it in Luke — however it is attested to by the early Church. For instance, Augustine of Hippo commented concerning this passage in the 4th century. It remains with us in the book of John here because the tradition holds up that it is a real story of the Lord, regardless of its original placement.

The Scene

Firstly, we see the people are dispersing and Jesus goes up to the Mount of Olives.

This was a frequent stop for the Lord while He was on earth. This is where the Garden of Gethsemane is, and where He prayed in Luke 22 before getting arrested.

Do you have a special place where you can be alone with God?

Mount of Olives seems to be this kind of place for Jesus. Maybe having a safe place where our hearts know the presence of God in a particular way is something we should look for?

The next day, everyone came to Jesus again as He returned to the Temple, and He sat down to teach the multitude that was there.

For the sake of understanding the text and the methods of Jesus: In this time it was common for teachers to sit in front of their students when they taught, rather than stand over them.

As the people were surrounding Jesus, who shows up?

The Pharisees with the woman allegedly caught in adultery.

Why?

To try/test/tempt Him.

Even their motive for the Law was impure, however. Because they aren’t event doing what the Law commands — Lev.20.10

Leviticus 20:10 CSB

10 “If a man commits adultery with a married woman—if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

Had they actually cared for the Law, they would have brought both the man and the woman to Him, but all they want is to see what Jesus will do!

Will He stone her and create an issue with the Roman government? (Jn. 18.31)

Would He let her go, and undermine the Law of Moses?

This would discredit Him before the crowds of People and give them reason to take Him).

The Response

How does Jesus respond?

Drawing on the ground

“Whoever is without sin...”

What do you think Jesus wrote on the ground?

Truth is, it doesn’t really matter to us what He wrote on the ground — the important thing is what He said to them and how they reacted.

Jesus didn’t fall into the trap set for Him. He did not condemn her, yet neither did he condone her sins!

He reminded the people that one finger was pointed at her, and three more were pointed right back at themselves.

This is something that we need to be mindful of today — yes, we have to make judgments as far as what is right or wrong, but our motives must be pure first. If we are calling someone out to simply shame them, prove ourselves right, or to make someone look foolish, or anything else like this, we are in the wrong first. Often we can be so quick, especially around election years, to point fingers and accuse. The fleshly tendency is to put someone else down so that we look better by contrast. But we must remember that God opposes the proud while He exalts the humble. The right thing done the wrong way is still wrong.

Psalm 138:6 CSB

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the humble; but he knows the haughty from a distance.

Proverbs 3:34 CSB

34 He mocks those who mock but gives grace to the humble.

Matthew 23:12 CSB

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

The Command

Now, Jesus didn’t just set it straight with the accusers, but now He turns to the woman.

We see here a moment of great tenderness, yet with authority!

Jn. 8.11.

This is the same holy command God gives to each of us, yet one that many of us often forget.

Jesus gave this woman a second chance to turn around and follow after her God, and He told her to sin no more — repent! At baptism Christ calls us to the same! Repent!

Yet, repentance is not a “one time thing”. Rather, it is something we must live by!

If we love our Lord Jesus, we read places like 1 John 1.9 and at the same time of knowing forgiveness by faith through His grace, by our love for Jesus we also here His gentle voice tell us to sin no more.

Conclusion

In this story, we can either be seen in the accusers or the woman.

The accusers are always looking for something they can use to look good and make others look bad, and sometimes they can even use real problems to do so!

If we find our faces reflected in theirs, what needs to happen is that we humbly pray for Christ to make us self aware. The one who identifies with the accusers must look within himself and see his own sin first.

The woman is the one who has been caught red-handed. You cannot hide your sins from the eye of God. Whatever the one relating to the woman might have done, it is exposed as in noonday before God.

Notice her demeanor is not haughty, nor is she trying to hide anything. She seems to accept what she’s done and knows what she deserves under the law. Yet, Jesus offers grace and forgives her, calling her to sin no more.

If you relate to her, firstly ask whether you are in covenant with Christ. Have you been baptized into Christ with faith into forgiveness? If so, 1 John 1.9 says if we confess our sins He is “faithful and just to forgive,” and Jesus calls us there to go on and sin no more!