No Condemnation
John 8:11 :Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
John 8:3-11 gives us the account of the woman taken in adultery and dragged and condemned before Jesus as he taught in the temple. I have had to wonder if this particular act of adultery was planned by the ones who brought her to Jesus because the stated purpose of bringing her before Him was to find something with which to accuse Him.
This is a serious accusation and there is no record of the woman denying it. And it is true that Moses in the law demanded that such should be stoned. The curious thing though, is that the law said that both the man and the woman were to be stoned. Where is the man, for she cannot do the "very act" all by herself. Oh how we bring condemnation to ourselves when we try to use Scripture to fulfill our own agenda.
When told what Moses in the law said, and asked, "but what sayest thou?", Jesus did not answer them but stooped down and began writing on the ground. They kept egging Him on, what do you have to say about this? He stood up and said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." and stooped down and continued writing on the ground. Scripture does not record what He wrote, but I have wondered did He list a catalog of sins, did He write the Ten Commandments - the moral law, did He describe the Holiness of God, did He write of forgiveness, did He write the two greatest commandments of all - to love? Maybe somehow the law of Moses did its work, because the accusers left beginning with the oldest until they were all gone and not one threw a stone.
One thing the Scribes and Pharisees did right was to bring her to Jesus. It is not our responsibility to bring condemnation, but to bring people to Jesus, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." John 3:17-21 says Jesus came not to condemn but to forgive. We were already condemned. All who stood before Jesus that day were condemned, but only one received the available forgiveness. Jesus asked the woman, hath no man condemned thee? She responded, "No man, Lord". Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
May we be a forgiving people and not condemning. What a glorious thought that Jesus is waiting and desiring to forgive us.
Keep looking up for He loves us.
Ron
John 8:3-11 gives us the account of the woman taken in adultery and dragged and condemned before Jesus as he taught in the temple. I have had to wonder if this particular act of adultery was planned by the ones who brought her to Jesus because the stated purpose of bringing her before Him was to find something with which to accuse Him.
This is a serious accusation and there is no record of the woman denying it. And it is true that Moses in the law demanded that such should be stoned. The curious thing though, is that the law said that both the man and the woman were to be stoned. Where is the man, for she cannot do the "very act" all by herself. Oh how we bring condemnation to ourselves when we try to use Scripture to fulfill our own agenda.
When told what Moses in the law said, and asked, "but what sayest thou?", Jesus did not answer them but stooped down and began writing on the ground. They kept egging Him on, what do you have to say about this? He stood up and said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." and stooped down and continued writing on the ground. Scripture does not record what He wrote, but I have wondered did He list a catalog of sins, did He write the Ten Commandments - the moral law, did He describe the Holiness of God, did He write of forgiveness, did He write the two greatest commandments of all - to love? Maybe somehow the law of Moses did its work, because the accusers left beginning with the oldest until they were all gone and not one threw a stone.
One thing the Scribes and Pharisees did right was to bring her to Jesus. It is not our responsibility to bring condemnation, but to bring people to Jesus, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." John 3:17-21 says Jesus came not to condemn but to forgive. We were already condemned. All who stood before Jesus that day were condemned, but only one received the available forgiveness. Jesus asked the woman, hath no man condemned thee? She responded, "No man, Lord". Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
May we be a forgiving people and not condemning. What a glorious thought that Jesus is waiting and desiring to forgive us.
Keep looking up for He loves us.
Ron
posted by Ron | 10:52 AM
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