Merciful God

John 8:1–11 NASB95

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Our False Idea of Who God Is

The Book Knowledge of the Holy.

Three years ago, we read the book to get a deeper dive into the attribute of God.

However, learning something through a book is so much different than learning from experience.

Studies of a surgeon. You learn all about heart transplant from a book, but the moment you stand before a patient requiring you to care out the procedure, it’s a completely different story.

We read and heard from church that God is love, is merciful, and full of grace.

However, without first hand experience, we will never know for sure.

This is why we tend to have this false understanding that God is this scary being who seems to have nothing to do with our lives except when we sin and fall short.

To so many of us, and too many times, it seems that God is just standing-by ready to smite us when we sin. Just waiting for the moment we sin to smite us.

But this cannot be farther from the truth.

Story of Mary of Magdalene

Mary was caught in adultery, “in the very act.” (v. 4)

Meaning they caught her in the middle of sex.

The scribes, who were the lawyers, and the Pharisees asked Jesus a trick question.

“In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women...”

Jesus was in a predicament.

If Jesus sided with the accusers and sentenced Mary to death, He would be completely undermining His entire ministry which was centered around forgiveness and mercy.

If Jesus denied the Law of Moses, He would be labeled as a lawless fellow who does not follow the Law of God.

Then Jesus stooped down and begin writing something on the ground.

I don’t know why John didn’t tell us what He wrote, perhaps John didn’t get a clear look either or by the time He wrote this Gospel, he might have forgotten? I’m not sure.

I believe what Jesus wrote on the ground will remind a mystery until we get to ask Him face to face. Not only that, but it’s irrelevant to us today. What matter’s is what follows next.

What He wrote on the ground clearly did not satisfy the accusers as they “persisted” in asking Him (v. 7).

He stood up and spoke those famous words, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

After a while, it was just Mary and Jesus.

Can you imagine how Mary must’ve felt?

Standing there, probably barely covered, staring at Jesus.

Jesus asks Mary the question, “Did no one condemn you?” To which she answers, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus responded, “I do not condemn you, either.”

The Tragedy of Our Wrong Understanding

To our wrong standard of who God is, Jesus should have taken up the stone and killed Mary. But He does not. Instead His answer is, “I do not condemn you, either.”

This is who God is.

He does not condemn you for your sins. He looks straight into your eyes and forgives you of your sins.

However, Jesus not condemning Mary did not mean He ignored her sin.

“From now on sin no more.”

Conclusion

When we sin, it is not as if God pretends to not have seen our sin. Our guilt is presupposed, just as it was with Mary. However, He forgives us and tells us to “From now on sin no more.”