Rock Piles

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law (of which we’re experts), Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11)

INTRO

Before returning to Galilee, Jesus goes back to the Temple where He’s presented with a woman who’s been caught in the act of adultery. Lev. 20:10 & Dt. 22:22 prescribes the death penalty for this. Death penalty for both btw, not just the woman. Interestingly, John tells us that they brough just the woman, not the man.

It’s a very clever, devious rather, predicament that they’ve placed Jesus in. It’s my personal opinion that this is an intentional set up to entrap Jesus.

-If He refuses to follow through with the Mosaic Law and stone her, it will show that He doesn’t uphold the Law of Moses.

-Technically, only the Romans could implement capital punishment. Doing so on the Temple Mount would’ve been impossible to ignore forcing the Romans to take action.

So, what will Jesus do?

He stoops down and begins writing in the dirt.

He famously says, "Let he who is without sin among you throw the first stone."

He then stoops down and writes in the dirt a second time.

Not the response we were expecting.

There are a lot of theories about what He wrote.

In my opinion, let me emphasize in my opinion, I believe that He possibly may have been writing Dt. 17:6-7. Again, this is just my opinion.

Dt. 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Dt. 17:6

Dt. 17:7: The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people.

There's a bit of a Mosaic Law loophole here that the "experts" in their rush to entrap Jesus have overlooked.

1-You need at least two witnesses to implement stoning for adultery

2-The punishment would be for the couple, not just the woman and

3-The witnesses would throw the first stones.

Legalists are always quick to pass judgment.

So, you see, they’re the ones not upholding the Law.

“And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones.” (8:8-9).

Oldest leaves first. Why? There are a few benefits to getting older. Like Kenny Rogers, when you’re older you’ve learned when to hold em, when to fold em and when to walk away. Whereas the younger ones may be thinking we can still win this, the old ones know it’s a time to walk away. They’re not going to win this one. And so they exit the scene.

In bringing this woman to be stoned without 2 witnesses, they’re not practicing the Law of Moses. It shows their hearts. They’re quick to judge.

The Religious are always quick to judge arent they?

Ever notice that some Christians seem to think that they’re always on a self appointed spiritual jury duty. They’re always issuing their verdicts of guilty on various people and situations they know very little about.

Prov 18:17 “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”

Secondly, and by contrast

2-We see God’s heart.

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (Jn. 8:10-11).

There’s this beautiful moment between Jesus and the woman caught in the act.