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, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 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. 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. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 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. 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? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (John 8:1-11 KJV)
The Woman Caught in Adultery
In this chapter we have Christ’s avoiding the snare the Jews laid for him by bringing a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), and several discussions with Jews who argued with him and made everything he said controversial: about his being the light of the world (John 8:12–20), the ruin of the unbelieving (John 8:21-30), liberty and bondage (John 8:31-37), his Father and their father (John 8:38-47), his answer to their blasphemous reproaches (John 8:48-50), and the immortality of believers (John 8:51-59). In all this he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself.
Though he had been badly abused in the previous chapter, both by rulers and people, we still find him at Jerusalem and in the temple. In the evening he went to the Mount of Olives (John 8:1). Whether he stayed with friends, in a booth during the feast of tabernacles, or spent the night in prayer we are not told. He likely went out of the city because he had no friend there willing to lodge him, while his persecutors had homes (John 7:53). He also avoided the danger of a night tumult; it is wise to step out of danger when we can do so without stepping out of duty. In the daytime, when he had work to do in the temple, he exposed himself under special protection (Isaiah 49:2); at night he withdrew.
Early in the morning he returned to the temple and taught (John 8:2). Though he had taught the day before, he taught again today—constant, in season and out of season. He taught in the temple because it was a place of gathering and to encourage public worship; he sat down and taught as one with authority. All the people came to him—many likely country people heading home from the feast who wanted one more sermon. They came early and he taught them, though the rulers were displeased.
While he was teaching, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, testing him (John 8:3-6). They set her in the midst and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery” (John 8:4). Even before the law of Moses, adultery was judged a great iniquity (Job 31:9-11; Genesis 38:24). They produced the statute: Moses commanded that such persons be put to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). Stoning was named in the case of a betrothed woman or a priest’s daughter (Deuteronomy 22:21). Adultery is a very great sin, violating God’s command and covenant. Then they asked his judgment to trap him: if he confirmed the sentence, they would charge him with harshness and perhaps with encouraging the Jews to exercise judicial power without Roman approval; if he acquitted her, they would accuse him of opposing Moses and favoring sin (John 8:6).
He first seemed to ignore them: he stooped down and wrote on the ground (John 8:6). We are not told what he wrote; it is the only place the Gospels mention him writing. He paused, teaching us to be slow to speak in hard cases and to consider before answering, especially when provoked (Psalm 38:13). When they kept pressing him, he stood up and said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). With this he avoided their snare, neither denying the law nor excusing the sin, while turning the charge upon the accusers.
He appealed, first, to their own law: the witnesses’ hands must be first upon the offender (Deuteronomy 17:7; cf. Acts 7:58). Let those witnesses examine themselves before acting. He also affirmed a moral truth: it is absurd to be zealous in punishing others while equally guilty ourselves (Romans 2:1). Whenever we fault others, we should first judge our own sin, be stricter with ourselves than with others, and be gentle toward the offenders’ persons while hating the sin (Matthew 7:5; Galatians 6:1). We either are, have been, or may be what this person is; that should restrain us from “throwing stones.” Those charged with correcting others must especially watch themselves and keep pure (Matthew 7:5). Some have thought he alluded to the trial of a suspected wife with the bitter water (Numbers 5:15): if the husband himself had been adulterous, that trial would not take effect. In any case, his aim was to bring both the prisoner and the prosecutors to repentance; they sought to ensnare him, but he sought to save them.
Again he stooped and wrote on the ground (John 8:8). Some ancient copies say he wrote each of their sins; whether or not, our sins are before him and will be set in order before us unless forgiven (Jeremiah 17:1; Job 14:17; Psalm 50:21). Struck by his words, they went out one by one, beginning with the eldest (John 8:9). Perhaps his writing frightened them, like the handwriting on the wall did Belshazzar; certainly his word sent them to their consciences (Hebrews 4:12). Their order of departure is noted—first the older, either because more guilty or more aware of the shame. Here we see the power of Christ’s word to convict, and the folly of sinners under conviction: caring more to avoid shame than to save the soul (cf. 1 Samuel 15:30), trying to shake off conviction instead of having the wound searched and healed, and, worst of all, going away from Jesus, the only one who can heal a wounded conscience. Those convicted by conscience will be condemned by the Judge unless they are justified by the Redeemer; where else will they go?
Jesus was left with the woman standing in the midst (John 8:9). She did not run, but stayed to await his judgment. Those whose cause is brought before Jesus need no other court, for he is the refuge of penitents. The law that accuses us is silenced by the gospel; its demands are answered by the blood of Jesus. Since to him all judgment is committed, let us secure our interest in him, and his gospel will save us (John 5:22).
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more” (John 8:10-11). As to temporal punishment, he did not condemn her, not because magistrates must never punish malefactors, but because this was not his civil office, and because the witnesses, being self-condemned, had withdrawn; their prosecution dropped (Deuteronomy 17:7). Yet he sent her away with a solemn caution: “Go, and sin no more.” Escaping penalty should not embolden us; rather, let those who have been spared double their watch against sin, and let any who help save a life also seek to save a soul with this warning.
As to eternal punishment, “Neither do I condemn you” amounts to forgiveness; the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He knew the hardness of the prosecutors and spoke to confound them, and he knew the woman’s awakened, penitent heart and spoke to comfort her, as he did to the other woman who was a sinner: “Your sins are forgiven…Go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50). Truly happy are those whom Christ does not condemn; his discharge answers every other accusation. He will not condemn those who turn from sin (Psalm 85:8; Isaiah 55:7). His favor in forgiving past sins is a compelling reason to sin no more (Romans 6:1-2). Will Christ not condemn you? Then go, and sin no more.