Bible Study John 8:1-14

1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

Early in the morning...

Jesus was teaching, swarms of people around Him (all the people)

So when the scribes and Pharisees came, they come in full view of all these people.

They care little about the woman, they care little about the law, for the law said that both the man and the woman should be put to death.

Leviticus 20:10 AV

10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Their purpose is to try and trap Jesus. How strange, that they care little for the law and little for the people they are to serve and in only conquering their perceived enemy!

If He said to forgive her, they could say He was soft on sin.

If He said to condemn her to death, they could accuse Him of violating the civil authority of the Romans

We still see this in the church today. Those who point out the failures of others, and wait for the judgment to fall on them, instead of seeking to help them and bring them back to Christ.

Jesus stoops down writing....

John 8:4 AV

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

John 8:5 AV

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

John 8:6 AV

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

John 8:7 AV

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

John 8:8 AV

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

John 8:9 AV

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

John 8:10 AV

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

John 8:11

John 8:12 AV

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:13 AV

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

John 8:14 AV

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

John 8:15 AV

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

Jesus announces Himself as the light

The Message of John a. Two Kinds of Teacher—Discourse 2 (8:12–30)

The feast had another symbol, light. At the end of the first day in the ‘court of women’ (which is the probable location of Jesus’ teaching, indicated at verse 20) four golden lamps were lit amid great rejoicing. Singing and celebration with music and dancing continued through the nights of the feast, with the light in the temple illuminating the entire city. In this setting, Jesus’ claim in verse 12 stands out boldly: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life. As the feast ends and the lights are extinguished, Jesus proclaims himself as the true light of the people of God, and not only of Israel, but of the whole world! ‘A claim of cosmic significance.’

What does He illuminate?

Not the sin of the woman, but the hearts of those that brought her.

Her sin was already evident in her eyes.

I like how it noted from beginning from the eldest.

It wasn’t that the older ones were the ones committing the most sins, but it was they who recognized their own need of grace and forgiveness.

The water drawing that we talked about last week, was the morning event. The evening event was the lighting of the candles. On the first day of the feast, four large lampstands were lit up in the court of women and the young priests held in their hands the candlesticks alight. They were so bright that the court was visible to the whole city of Jerusalem. On the last day, these lights were extinguished and Jesus declares “I am the Light of the world.”

He was in the treasury, which was in the court of the women, so He may have been standing underneath one of those great big bowls (four bowl filled with oil and the undergarments of the priest used as wicks)