Neither do I Condemn You

English Standard Version Chapter 8

The Woman Caught in Adultery

8 53 [[They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 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. 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.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 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. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ]]

Some of you may have notes in your Bibles indicating some doubt whether or not this story was actually part of John’s narrative, because it’s not found in the earliest manuscripts that we possess.

I am told that even very early commentaries from the 1200’s note that this story is not in their earliest manuscripts.

I don’t know where the story comes from, but it could be that it was part of some oral tradition passed down.

John indicates that there were many other things that Jesus said and did. Maybe this was one of them.

The other thing about this story is that it seems to be plopped into the middle of the events in the temple.

Because 8:12 is actually a continuation of the events in chapter 7. That is something that most NT scholars agree on.

But I am going to spend some time with this story today

Because what happens in this story is completely in character of who we know Jesus to be.

I love the tenderness that Jesus shows to this woman

Some of the most tender and loving encounters that we see in the life of Jesus are between Him and women

—with His mother at the wedding

—with the woman at the well

—with Mary and Martha

—with the cyro-phonecean woman

—with the woman who anointed his feet

—with the woman who washed his feet with tears and dried them with her hair

—with his mother at the cross

—with Mary after the resurrection

The way that Jesus treats this woman is true to character in the way that he treated other women

There’s something else striking about this story, too. And that’s the stark illustration of how Jesus is able to command and diffuse a potentially violent scene without raising a hand. Without carrying a weapon and threatening anyone

But I wont spend time on that. Maybe it’s a subject for another time

Picture the scene

Jesus, the Rabbi, the Great Teacher is sitting in the Temple courts teaching

Remember in chapter 7, Jesus had a rather heated exchange with the crowds and religious leaders who were out for blood but just could not manage to trap Him.

Verse 53 says that each went to their own homes.

An interesting note. For me, it indicates a rather uneasy truce. Both sides had had their say, both sides had taken their shots.

And now both sides were tired and it was time to go home to bed.

And that’s what everyone does, knowing the battle isn’t over. The next day is coming and again the religious leaders are going to try to gain the upper ground.

They go home and Jesus goes out to the Mount of Olives where many of the pilgrims who were attending the feast would have been staying.

I can imagine Him off in a corner, spending time in solitude and praying to His Father, gaining wisdom and courage for the fight that He knows lies ahead of Him.

Knowing that by the end of the next day, He is going have His closest call yet.

Very early in the morning, he returns to the temple and begins to teach.

It’s not very long before a commotion causes him to pause and look up.

Here comes the Jews dragging a woman who is struggling and kicking, her clothes askew and hair disheveled.

My version delicately says, “they placed her in the midst”.

I imagine that they threw her down in front of Jesus

Jesus, this woman has been caught in adultery!

Now, I see some problems here.

Where is the other person? Adultery requires two people. Where’s the other one?

says that if a man and a woman are caught in adultery, both of them are to be stoned to death

Where are the witnesses? Who among them is going to say, I witnessed this woman and someone else doing something wrong?

Why did they bring this woman to Jesus instead of to the Sanhedrin?

just the day before they were trying to discredit Him. Why Jesus?

I smell a trap. Because the other person isn’t there, and because there are no witnesses, I would say that this woman may or may not have actually committed adultery.

Whatever the case, it is a carefully laid trap for Jesus

Because the

Really, it’s a lose/lose situation for him

—If he says, “don’t stone her”, the Jews could say to the people, “he doesn’t support the law of Moses

(scholars doubt that in 1st century Palestine they stoned people for adultery anyway

—If he says, “Yeah, go ahead and stone her”, the Jews can go to the Romans and report Him because under Roman law, they could not carry out capital punishment.

So Jesus is trapped by all appearances.

Because the Jews are right. If this woman really did commit adultery, she was to die, according to the law of Moses.

It’s the reality of sin that we have already spent some time on

Romans tells us that that wages of sin is death

Jesus’ response is not what they were expecting

Jesus bends down and begins to write on the ground

The only place that we ever read of Jesus writing something

Meanwhile, the Jews are clamoring for his attention.

What was he writing? No one knows.

I suspect that it’s not important WHAT he was writing.

I suspect that His silence was meant to shame the Pharisees

Rather than reacting, he remained calm, making their supposed outrage even more rediculous

His silence made it clear that HE was in control

“Jesus, what are you going to do about this woman?”

Jesus seems not to hear them…the only figure in this drama who seems not to be perturbed....the Jews screaming for his attention, the woman weeping on the ground, the crowd breathlessly waiting to see what would happen.

Slowly, Jesus stands up and fixes these Jews with a steely gaze.

“Yeah, let’s stone her”, he says

The crowd gasps, the woman wails, the Jews are poised to run and report Jesus to the Romans

And then the voice of Jesus rolls out: “WAIT!”

The Pharisees freeze.

“Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone”

The Pharisees shuffle nervously and glance uneasily at each other.

Big problem, isn’t it.

Who is without sin? Is there anyone here who is without sin?

Being experts of the Scripture, they knew the answer

(ESV) 3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Paul quotes this in Romans)

3 They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (answer, no one)

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

There was no one there without sin

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

No one, that is, except Jesus.

And these Jews knew it too.

O Lord, who could stand?

and the Lord has laid on him

The only One there who was without sin and COULD have thrown a stone was Jesus.

They look back towards Jesus only to see Him slowly bend back down and begin to write again.

Clearly He has said all that He is going to say

the iniquity of us all.

They glance around. All eyes are fixed on them. The crowds is watching them, knowing exactly what they knew. They had been bested again.

Seething, they stalk away

Meanwhile, the woman is laying crumpled up and weeping on the ground, her tears mixing with the mud and staining her face and already filthy clothes and hair.

“Woman”, Jesus says gently, “Where are they? Isn’t anyone accusing you?”

The woman lifts her tear stained face, and glances around, suddenly aware that her ravenous accusers have disappeared and that the crowd is beginning to melt away.

She turns back to Jesus. Her voice filled with astonishment “There is no one, Lord!”

Jesus smiles at her, and says, “I don’t condemn you either; go now and don’t sin anymore.”

Something incredible has happened here.

That is, the demonstration of a new law and a new covenant.

There was a day when, yes, with the proper procedures, this woman would have been stoned to death outside the city gate; a demonstration of the horrible nature of sin.

A demonstration that sin deals a fatal blow to our relationship with our Creator.

But now there is something new and something wonderful. That is, there is now no condemnation!

Jesus recognizes that the law requires a stoning. The law requires death.

But here is the revelation of a deeper law. That is the law of love.

This is the Law that says, “Yes, sin does need to be paid for, but you aren’t going to pay.”

This Law says, “Yes, sin does require death. But it’s not going to be your death.”

Why could Jesus say, “Neither do I condemn you”?

Because in just about 6 months, Jesus knows that He is going to pay for this woman’s sin. In just about 6 months, Jesus is going die the death that this woman and all the Jews should have died.

He could say “Neither do I condemn you” because he is going to take the condemnation on Himself along with the condemnation that was on the whole world from Adam until now

Jesus doesn’t excuse her sin. Just like he told the man by the pool of Bethesda, he says, “You need to stop sinning”.

But the condemnation that normally faces one who sins has lifted!

this is language that no one has ever heard before!

Imagine the joy! Imagine the hope!

This is a message that the world needs to hear

People live under the feeling of condemnation

This is a message that the church needs to hear.

Because even in the church, the feeling of condemnation and guilt lies so heavily upon us sometimes. I’m not good enough.

I messed up again today. I looked at that. I said that. I’ll never be good enough. Satan has caught me and he and his demons are standing screaming for my life.

I’ve fallen out of favor with people. I know that folks will always see me that man who was once an adulterer

I know that folks will always see me as that girl who was loose with her morals.

But then you raise your head and you see Jesus looking intently, gently questioning you. “Where are your accusers?”, he asks

And on this side of history, when you realize what Jesus has done, the significance of His finished work, you realize that there is no one who can condemn you.

BEcause he took all the condemnation.

“There is therefore now NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!”