John 8:1

John 8:1 says, Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.  Jesus had been up on the Mount of Olives overnight but had returned to the Temple to teach.  Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to renew His spirit, and we may need to as well.  Verse two adds, 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.  It says all the people came to Him.  He was not hard to find.  Again, when we seek Jesus, He is always easy to find and ready to teach us.  Verse three continues, And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,  Verse four concludes, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.  The Pharisees came also, not to take Jesus but to get His judgment on a woman caught in adultery, evidently by herself, since no man was brought with her.  We have to wonder why they didn’t think it was important to bring the man as well.  Our judgment, if we do judge, should be the same for all people.  They were attempting to trick Jesus into making a false claim, but the world is never going to trick God.  People have been attempting to prove Him wrong since the Garden of Eden, but it will never occur.  Verse five states, Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?  The Pharisees referred to the law of Moses, and they were big on the Law.  The Pharisees really weren't concerned with the woman, but with trapping Jesus into making the wrong decision.  They knew what the Law of Moses said but wanted to hear what Jesus said.  Verse six adds. 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. If we bring any decision before Jesus, we need to make sure that it is to seek His will, not to justify ourselves or to seek punishment for others.  Jesus stooped down and wrote in the ground. Verse seven continues, 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.  Jesus said that he who was without sin among them should cast a stone at her.  Unless we are without sin, we should never judge others.  Verse eight says, And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. Then, He continued to write in the ground.  People today speculate about what He wrote, but whatever it was combined with His words sent all her accusers away.  We today must never be guilty of casting the first stone at anyone else's sin.  Instead of seeking their punishment from God we need to seek their forgiveness from Him.  Our own sins convict us, but He forgives us, and we should seek the same for others.  Verse nine adds, 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.  When Jesus looked up, the woman was alone.  When it comes to judging others, Jesus should always be left alone to do it.  It doesn’t matter how old or young we are.  We are never qualified to judge other people.  Verse ten continues, 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?   He asked her where her accusers were and had no man condemned her.  If He looked up today in a similar situation, would He find us there still ready to accuse someone of sin?  Too often we would be I’m afraid.  Verse eleven states, She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. She answered, "No man, Lord." They had brought her to trick Jesus but had to slip away in defeat.  We can rest assured that God will always be victorious over those who would attempt to discredit Him.  The last part of verse eleven was the good news for the woman and for any who come to Jesus for forgiveness.  He said “Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more." There was a call for a change in her life.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, it calls for a change in our life.  We are no longer to allow sin to rule our life. We will never be perfect in this, but we are to recognize when we have sinned and remove it from our life.  We, like the woman, are guilty but forgiven.