Read John 7:53-8:11.

Introduction⤒🔗

As Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, the Pharisees brought to Him a woman guilty of adultery. They charge that she was caught in the very act of adultery, thereby establishing her guilt.

The Pharisees immediately remind Jesus that the Old Testament Law of Moses prescribed that if a person was found to be guilty of adultery that person was to be put to death. That law is stated in Leviticus 20:10,

The man who commits adultery with [another] man’s wife, [he] who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.

The Pharisees now ask for Jesus’ opinion as to what should be done about this woman who was obviously guilty of adultery.

The Pharisees’ intention was to test Jesus. By asking for His opinion as to what to do about this woman, the Pharisees hoped to create a dilemma for Jesus. No doubt remembering the act of mercy Jesus had bestowed upon the undeserving paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, they know Him to be merciful and compassionate. They no doubt hoped that He would counsel leniency towards the woman and exempt her from suffering the punishment of being stoned to death. If, indeed, Jesus gave such counsel, the Pharisees then would have grounds for accusing Jesus of neglecting the justice prescribed in the Old Testament Law and thereby encouraging violations of God’s moral law.

Jesus replies to the Pharisees by stooping down and writing with His finger in the dirt. What did He write? Perhaps it was the very law to which the Pharisees referred, the law that stipulated that both parties who were caught in the act of adultery were to be put to death. In addition to Leviticus 20:10, that stipulation is also found in the Book of Deuteronomy: “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel” (Deut. 22:22). If so, Jesus is exposing the sin of the Pharisees in being selective in their administration of justice. After all, if they caught the woman in the very act of adultery, as they claim, why did they not also bring the man with whom she was committing this immoral act worthy of death under Old Testament law?

When they continue to question Him, Jesus confronts them with the convicting command, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.” Then He again stooped down and wrote in the dirt. Maybe this time He wrote out the words of Job, “I have made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1) If so, He would be confronting her accusers with the very truth He expounds in the Sermon on the Mount: “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). Whatever He wrote, the Pharisees became convicted of their own sin and thereupon withdrew, leaving the woman alone in the presence of Jesus.

Since her accusers have not seen fit to press charges and carry out the sentence of condemnation against her, Jesus declares that He will not do so either. But Jesus does exhort her to repent of her sinful lifestyle. The implication is that the mercy of God must not be abused. Thus, He says to her, “Woman, where are they [i.e. her accusers]? Has no one condemned you? ¹¹And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go your way; from now on leave your life of sin. (Jn. 8:10-11)

As we consider Jesus’ words addressed to this woman, let us learn two things we need to know about the LORD’s mercy. Because the LORD is rich in mercy, we can confidently look to Him for mercy; but we must not abuse His mercy.

We May Confidently Look to the LORD for Mercy←⤒🔗

Throughout the Scriptures the LORD reveals Himself as the God who is willing to forgive, the God who is willing to extend His mercy to us:

...you are a God [who stands] ready to pardon; [you are] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness Neh. 9:17b

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call to him while he is near. ⁷Let the wicked man forsake his way, and let the unrighteous man [forsake] his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him. [Let him return] to our God, for he will abundantly pardon; ⁸for my thoughts are not [like] your thoughts, neither are your ways [the same as] my ways, declares the LORD. ⁹As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts [higher] than your thoughts. Isa. 55:6-9

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but, rather, that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? Ezek. 33:11

Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not retain your anger forever, because you delight in lovingkindness. ¹⁹You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our iniquities underfoot; and hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.Mic. 7:18-19

...for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but [rather], that the world might be saved through him. Jn. 3:16-17

The LORD also reveals Himself in the Scriptures as the God who is able to forgive:

Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too difficult for you. Jer. 32:17

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...^1bwe have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One, ²and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:1b-2a

God presented [Christ Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement...He did this...so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Rom. 3:25-26

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.' Gal. 3:13

We may say that we know these things, but we still do not “feel” that God can forgive us. If such is the case, consider the story of a woman named Mary and the comments of the Christian counselor who ministered to her:

Mary’s eyes glistened with tears. She choked out the words, “I know the Bible says God loves me and Christ died for me. I know I’m supposed to believe my sins are forgiven. But I just can’t feel forgiven! I’m not good enough.”

On the surface, such testimonies express low self-esteem. Because Mary is not good enough, God does not forgive her. But beneath the surface, such gloomy outlooks are actually forms of boasting.

Mary’s feeling that “God can’t forgive me because I’m not good enough” implies a deeper belief: My goodness is the basis on which God deals with me.

The Apostle Paul discredits this common misbelief in his letter to the Ephesians, explaining that God’s basis for dealing with an individual has nothing to do with his worth:

^''8It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast. ¹⁰We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them.''Eph. 2:8-10

We are unable to make ourselves worthy before God, for we are bankrupt: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6a). That is to say, even our righteous acts are tainted with sin and polluted with sin; because of our sinful nature, we are unable to offer any wholly pure act unto our infinitely holy God.

Self-pity is self-piety. By wallowing in negative feelings about our self-worth, we are in effect bragging that we are too tough for God to handle.

[But bear in mind the passage of Jeremiah 32:17, Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too difficult for you!]

A powerful insight that heals people in counseling is that God could snuff us out at any moment. We have nothing with which to bargain with Him. We are helpless. It is His idea to be gracious towards us.

When we function out of a mistaken self-esteem, it is because we have forgotten who we are and who God is.

Although Mary knew the Scriptures about God’s mercy, the light dawned as she saw that God’s nature is what moves Him to forgive her, [not her own moral worthiness].

Finally, seeing her need and God’s goodness, she asked Him to forgive her. Now she feels forgiven. [Or, better said, now she knows she is forgiven; her conviction of sin has been replaced with the conviction of forgiveness; and that by the grace of God].

Mary came to realize that God is not bound by her feelings of unworthiness. Trusting in His strength and mercy, she found her proper self-identity, and learned an important truth: God is able to break down our misconceptions and bring us into full fellowship with Himself.¹

Mary was a person who felt she was not good enough for God to forgive her. She was sinfully discounting the greatness of God’s mercy in Christ Jesus and, as the counselor informed her, the fact that God extends His mercy to us on the basis of His gracious character, not on the basis of our supposed merit.

Other people struggle with the feeling that their sins are too great for God to ever forgive. They sinfully discount the greatness of God’s ability: God has set the standard of justice, and God has provided the means for that standard to be satisfied and the confessing sinner to be forgive: the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bear in mind again the passage from the Epistle to the Romans cited above: “God presented [Christ Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement...He did this...so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25-26).

We may confidently look to the LORD for mercy, knowing that He is both ready and able to extend His mercy to us:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:14-16

If we are in debt, it is good to have a friend who can sympathize with us. But it is even better if that sympathetic friend is also rich and can pay off our debt. As Hebrews 4:14-16 assures us, the Lord Jesus Christ is just such a Friend.

We Must Not Abuse the LORD’s Great Mercy←⤒🔗

We are a people given to extremes: We either fail to appreciate the greatness of God’s mercy, or we tend to abuse that mercy and take it for granted. We either refuse to trust in the LORD’s assurance that His mercy is able to reach us, (“God can’t forgive me because of how I’ve lived!”), or else we presume upon His great mercy, (“God will forgive me no matter how I live!”).

We must listen to all that Jesus says to this woman:

Then Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ¹¹And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go your way; from now on leave your life of sin. Jn. 8:10-11

We must understand what the Scripture explains to be the purpose of God’s mercy extended to us:

...our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...gave himself for us so that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... ³God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering... ⁴in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.Rom. 8:1-4

It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast. ¹⁰We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them.Eph. 2:8-10

Conclusion←⤒🔗

We either fail to appreciate the greatness of the LORD’s mercy, or else we have the tendency to abuse His great mercy. The proper perspective is provided for us by the Psalmist in Psalm 130:

In verses 1-2, the Psalmist cries out to the LORD from the depths, the depths of guilt and human despair: “Out of the depths have I cried out to you, O LORD. ²Lord, hear my voice, let your ears be attentive to my supplications.”

In verses 3-4, he acknowledges that no man stands innocent and acceptable before God: “If you, LORD, keep a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” But he goes on to acknowledge that there is mercy with the LORD, “But with you there is forgiveness.” Then he adds this commentary, “so that the LORD may be feared.” That is to say, the purpose of the LORD’s mercy is to restore our relationship with Him, a relationship that must be characterized by holy reverence, which urges us in the direction of righteousness.

In verses 5-6, the Psalmist testifies that he places his hope in the LORD and in His Word, (as opposed to trusting in his own efforts or his own feelings), and he waits for the LORD with the confidence and expectation of the night watchman who waits for the coming of the morning: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits; and in his word do I hope. ⁶My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning; indeed, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” The object of his hope, that for which he waits for the LORD to do, is revealed in the following verses.

In verses 7-8, the Psalmist expresses his hope, and invites us to join with him in this hope; “O Israel, put your hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with him is full redemption. ⁸He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” The Psalmist possesses the sure hope that the LORD shall finally redeem His people from all our iniquities, which shall be realized when we enter into glory. The Psalmist recognizes that due to the remnants of the sinful nature that still cling to him, he will struggle with sin throughout the remainder of his earthly life; and, consequently, there will be the ongoing need for confession of sin, repentance of sin, and the request for the forgiveness of sin. But, despite this ongoing struggle with sin, the Psalmist is confident of two things: the LORD is ever faithful to forgive us our sins and the LORD is sure to finally remove all our iniquity, replacing it with His perfect righteousness. The Apostle John expresses this blessed truth in this way:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when [Christ] is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who has this hope in [Christ] purifies himself, just as [Christ] is pure. 1 Jn. 3:2-3

Note: Scripture makes clear that it is by reliance upon the grace of God and the person of the Holy Spirit, that we carry on and persevere in this work of purifying ourselves, which is known as sanctification.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. When everyone returned to their homes at the conclusion of the feast, where did Jesus go? See Jn. 7:53-8:1; cp. Matt. 8:20. What did the Lord Jesus temporarily relinquish for the sake of our salvation? See Phil. 2:6-7. How does the Apostle Paul describe the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? See 2 Cor. 8:9,

⁵³Then everyone went to his own home. ^8:1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Jn. 7:53-8:1

Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' Matt. 8:20

...existing in the form of God, he did not regard his being on an equality with God as a thing to be exploited; ⁷on the contrary, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. Phil. 2:6-7

For the sake of our salvation, the Lord Jesus temporarily relinquished His divine rights and position as the eternal Son of God.

...you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Cor. 8:9

2. To whom do we now find the Lord Jesus ministering His grace? See Jn. 8:3. Was there any question as to this woman’s guilt? See Jn. 8:4. What was the punishment for adultery? See Jn. 8:5. Does not every one of us stand before the Lord in the same guilty condition as this woman? Note Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23a. Like her, of what do we also stand in need? Note Lk. 18:13b,

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought [to him] a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand before them, ⁴and they said to [Jesus], Teacher, this woman has been caught committing adultery—-caught in the very act! ⁵Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such [a person]. What then do you say about her?Jn. 8:3-5

...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... Rom. 3:23

...the wages of sin is death... Rom. 6:23a

And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' Lk. 18:13

3. When the Pharisees present this woman to Him, testifying to her guilt, and referencing the Law, what does Jesus do? See Jn. 8:6b. Might he have written the full text of the pertinent O.T. law? Cp. Jn. 8:5a with Lev. 20:10. Do we advocate for the fair and impartial administration of justice (cf. Deut. 10:17), or do we excuse some sins and some sinners while condemning others? Do we excuse our own sins?

Now they said this in order to test him, so that they might have something of which to accuse him. Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. Jn. 8:6

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such [a person].Jn. 8:5

The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. Lev. 20:10

Since she was “caught in the very act,” why was not the man also presented before Jesus?

…the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality… Deut. 10:17

3. When Jesus finished writing on the ground, what do the Pharisees do? See Jn. 8:7a. How does Jesus reply (cf. Jn. 8:7b) and what does He then proceed to do (cf. Jn. 8:8)? What might He have written on the ground this time? Note Psl. 24:3-4a. How did the scribes and Pharisees respond (cf. Jn. 8:9); why do you think they did so? Does not the Lord confront each of us with the same challenge He posed to the Pharisees (Jn. 8:7b)? Note Matt. 5:27-28,

...they continued questioning him... Jn. 8:7a

Do you think they might have protested that, even though the guilty man was not present, that does not excuse the woman’s guilt?

...he stood up and said to them, Whoever among you is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her. ⁸Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. Jn. 8:7b-8

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? ⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart... Psl. 24:3-4a

Then, those who heard began to go away one at a time, beginning with the oldest down to the youngest, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jn. 8:9

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt. 5:27-28

5. When the Pharisees withdraw their charge and depart, what does Jesus say to the woman? See Jn. 8:10-11. Why is the Lord Jesus able to offer forgiveness? See Gal. 3:13. What does He now command the woman, and us, to do? Note Prov. 28:13. As Christians, who assists us in the mandatory and ongoing process of repentance? See Rom. 8:13,

Then Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ¹¹And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go your way; from now on leave your life of sin. Jn. 8:10-11

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' Gal. 3:13

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy. Prov. 28:13

...if you live according to the sinful nature you must die; but if by the [Holy] Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. Rom. 8:13

The “deeds of the body” is used here in an all-inclusive way, encompassing the sins in word and thought, as well as deed (cf. 2 Cor. 7:1).

“Dissidents,” Ruth was told, as she watched the angry mob outside the terminal, “they are angry about their poverty. They want El Presidente to know.”