A New Beginning: John 8:2-11
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OT Reading: Leviticus 20:10 (New Century Version)
10 "'If a man has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be put to death.’”
NT Reading: Romans 6:21-23 (New Century Version)
21 You did evil things, and now you are ashamed of them. Those things only bring death.22 But now you are free from sin and have become slaves of God. This brings you a life that is only for God, and this gives you life forever. 23 The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Introduction:
In the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, God says, “3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.” [Exodus 6:3-7a (NKJV)]
In the story of Saul, David is chosen to replace the first king of Israel when Samuel declares, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” [1 Samuel 15:28 (NKJV)]
In the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah “…the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” [Ezra 6:21-22 (NKJV)]
In the story of the Kings and the Wise Men, Joseph returns from Egypt to Judea with his family, but not to the same town they left from. “…And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’” [Matthew 2:22b-23 (NKJV)]
The Bible is filled with stories of New Beginnings.
Text: John 8:2-11 (NKJV) [Please read the text before continuing.]
Now, let’s not misunderstand the story. By this act of grace, Jesus is not condoning sexual relations outside of marriage. The specific sin here is adultery, which the Bible defines as sex between two people where one or more of the partners is married to someone other than the person they are having sex with. Leviticus 20:10 makes it clear that persons found guilty of adultery “should be stoned” just as the Pharisees say in our passage. In fact, Jesus himself specifically condemns adultery as sin 10 other times in the Gospels.
The woman is guilty. She was caught in the act. There is no question about it. She deserves to die for her sin. Jesus himself calls her behavior “sin” in verse 11 when he says, “…go and sin no more.”
What Jesus does here, is not change the law or pretend her crime never happened, or say, “Well, never mind, sin isn’t that big a deal anyway.” In fact, his actions actually show us that sin is a bigger problem than most of us realize. Jesus does not change the woman’s guilt, he finds a way to show grace in spite of her guilt.
Now, some people make the case that Jesus lets this woman off the hook because the man is not there. They say it’s a set-up. The woman was lured into adultery, perhaps even by one of her condemners, in order to trap Jesus. But, there is no support for this hypothesis in the text, and we don’t need to explain away her lover’s absence. It isn’t hard to imagine a scenario where he escapes while she gets caught. Perhaps he dives through a window when they bust down the door? Or, perhaps he has already been put to death, and the woman temporarily saved in order to trap Jesus?
There is no doubt that the Pharisees are making use of the situation to try to trap Jesus, the text tells us so in verses 5 & 6a: “5 'Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.” If Jesus contradicts the law, then he will be guilty of a serious sin against God. If he supports her execution, the Pharisees believe he will lose favor with the people. They don’t understand that Jesus was never trying to win a popularity contest as they were.
Jesus could have told them, “You’re right; go ahead.” And, he would have been perfectly justified to do so. However, Jesus wants more than just justice… he wants to show us something about God’s grace. He stops. He waits. Perhaps he prays for the Father’s wisdom to answer wisely.
They keep asking. They think they’ve won. They’re already celebrating in their hearts, which is exactly where Jesus wants them… in their hearts.
You see, they didn’t understand God’s attitude about sin, and we often don’t either. God doesn’t look upon the sinner with anger, judgment, and hatred. He isn’t glad when we get what’s coming to us. He doesn’t rejoice when we get our due. No! God mourns.
God hates sin because of what it does to us poor sinners. He hates sin, not sinners. He hates how sin hurts us. He hates that it separates us from Him. He hates that we get trapped in it. And, He hates when we hate each other instead of our sin. He hates what sin does to our hearts.
So, Jesus stops writing in the sand. Jesus stands. He looks them in the eye, and he says, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” [v.7 (NASB)] He catches them in the very act of their own sinfulness, and he points it out to them.
Jesus always does this when he confronts sin. He never minimizes the offense. Rather, he points out how much more serious sin is than we normally realize: 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment... 27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart… 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” [Matthew 5:21-22a; 27-28; 33-37 (NKJV)]
Perhaps Jesus was writing out their sins in the sand as some have suggested. Perhaps he was praying. Or, perhaps he was just giving them time (it never takes long, does it?) to expose their own sinful hearts?
Then, he confronts them with it. It’s as if Jesus is telling us, whether we’re standing in the crowd, laying at his feet beaten and tattered, or polishing our stones in judgment, “Yes, she is guilty! But, how dare you rejoice in her guilt! Her sin is not a show to entertain you. It isn’t something to allow you to feel good about yourself. It’s a deep wound in her soul. It has cut her away from a loving God. Her sin (and yours as well now that you can see it) isn’t something to be celebrated. It breaks the very heart of God. And, if you really were any better than this poor woman, it would break yours as well. So, stone her if you’re so concerned about righteousness! But, stone yourselves as well!”
So, they set down their stones and they walked away. What else could they do? And, they needed to leave, because Jesus needs to be alone with the woman. He has something for her, a free gift, a present of God’s grace, a new beginning.
Text: John 8:10b-11 (NKJV) “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Deuteronomy 17:6-7 (NKJV) says, “6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.”
So, because there are no longer any accusers, Jesus can show the woman grace. He can offer her a new beginning. “… go and sin no more.” [John 8:12b (NKJV)]
Jesus doesn’t just send the woman away, he sends her away forgiven. He sends her away free. He sends her away with the opportunity of being different than she was before. He sends her away with the chance at a better life. He sends her away with a testimony and with the memory of God’s unmerited favor.
Conclusion:
Perhaps Jesus has done the same thing for you? I know He has done it for me.
I was guilty, and I knew it. I was trapped, and I hated it. I was a sinner. My life was an offense to the holiness of God. I deserved to die for my sin. My fate seemed sealed.
And then, Jesus reached down and drew in my dirt. He held back judgment with his patience. He stood between me and my accusers. He rescued me from the angry mob of hurting people of which I had so often been a part.
He took my stones, the ones polished for me, the ones I deserved. He used them to nail himself to the cross. He died in my place. He bore my sin. He became my sin.
And now? Now I am free! I am forgiven. I have a story like Israel, like Moses, like Ezra, like Joseph… I have a testimony and the memory of God’s undeserved grace in my life. I was given the opportunity of being different than I was before. I was sent away in love. I was sent away changed. I have been given a new beginning!
Have you made a new beginning? Have you accepted the grace Jesus offers for your life? Have you laid down your stones, gotten alone with the Savior, and accepted His free gift?
If you have, then my prayer is for your faith to be renewed today. Remember what He has done for you. Remember that the story of the woman caught in adultery was your story as well, whatever your sin was. Remember that you are living with a new beginning. You have a new life, a new destiny, a new purpose and meaning for who you are!
If you have not… if you have never realized before today that your sin has mastery over your life, that you are guilty, and that your only hope is for the only One truly fit to judge you to offer you grace instead. If you have never looked to Jesus for your salvation, and now your heart has been exposed and you find yourself lain out at His feet beaten and tattered. If you need a new beginning today, then I want to invite you to contact me, or a local Christian pastor, or a believing friend whose heart you trust. Don’t leave this post today the same way you arrived. Don’t leave here today without making a new beginning.
OT Reading: Leviticus 20:10 (New Century Version)
10 "'If a man has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be put to death.’”
NT Reading: Romans 6:21-23 (New Century Version)
21 You did evil things, and now you are ashamed of them. Those things only bring death.22 But now you are free from sin and have become slaves of God. This brings you a life that is only for God, and this gives you life forever. 23 The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Introduction:
In the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, God says, “3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.” [Exodus 6:3-7a (NKJV)]
In the story of Saul, David is chosen to replace the first king of Israel when Samuel declares, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” [1 Samuel 15:28 (NKJV)]
In the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah “…the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” [Ezra 6:21-22 (NKJV)]
In the story of the Kings and the Wise Men, Joseph returns from Egypt to Judea with his family, but not to the same town they left from. “…And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’” [Matthew 2:22b-23 (NKJV)]
The Bible is filled with stories of New Beginnings.
Text: John 8:2-11 (NKJV) [Please read the text before continuing.]
Now, let’s not misunderstand the story. By this act of grace, Jesus is not condoning sexual relations outside of marriage. The specific sin here is adultery, which the Bible defines as sex between two people where one or more of the partners is married to someone other than the person they are having sex with. Leviticus 20:10 makes it clear that persons found guilty of adultery “should be stoned” just as the Pharisees say in our passage. In fact, Jesus himself specifically condemns adultery as sin 10 other times in the Gospels.
The woman is guilty. She was caught in the act. There is no question about it. She deserves to die for her sin. Jesus himself calls her behavior “sin” in verse 11 when he says, “…go and sin no more.”
What Jesus does here, is not change the law or pretend her crime never happened, or say, “Well, never mind, sin isn’t that big a deal anyway.” In fact, his actions actually show us that sin is a bigger problem than most of us realize. Jesus does not change the woman’s guilt, he finds a way to show grace in spite of her guilt.
Now, some people make the case that Jesus lets this woman off the hook because the man is not there. They say it’s a set-up. The woman was lured into adultery, perhaps even by one of her condemners, in order to trap Jesus. But, there is no support for this hypothesis in the text, and we don’t need to explain away her lover’s absence. It isn’t hard to imagine a scenario where he escapes while she gets caught. Perhaps he dives through a window when they bust down the door? Or, perhaps he has already been put to death, and the woman temporarily saved in order to trap Jesus?
There is no doubt that the Pharisees are making use of the situation to try to trap Jesus, the text tells us so in verses 5 & 6a: “5 'Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.” If Jesus contradicts the law, then he will be guilty of a serious sin against God. If he supports her execution, the Pharisees believe he will lose favor with the people. They don’t understand that Jesus was never trying to win a popularity contest as they were.
Jesus could have told them, “You’re right; go ahead.” And, he would have been perfectly justified to do so. However, Jesus wants more than just justice… he wants to show us something about God’s grace. He stops. He waits. Perhaps he prays for the Father’s wisdom to answer wisely.
They keep asking. They think they’ve won. They’re already celebrating in their hearts, which is exactly where Jesus wants them… in their hearts.
You see, they didn’t understand God’s attitude about sin, and we often don’t either. God doesn’t look upon the sinner with anger, judgment, and hatred. He isn’t glad when we get what’s coming to us. He doesn’t rejoice when we get our due. No! God mourns.
God hates sin because of what it does to us poor sinners. He hates sin, not sinners. He hates how sin hurts us. He hates that it separates us from Him. He hates that we get trapped in it. And, He hates when we hate each other instead of our sin. He hates what sin does to our hearts.
So, Jesus stops writing in the sand. Jesus stands. He looks them in the eye, and he says, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” [v.7 (NASB)] He catches them in the very act of their own sinfulness, and he points it out to them.
Jesus always does this when he confronts sin. He never minimizes the offense. Rather, he points out how much more serious sin is than we normally realize: 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment... 27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart… 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” [Matthew 5:21-22a; 27-28; 33-37 (NKJV)]
Perhaps Jesus was writing out their sins in the sand as some have suggested. Perhaps he was praying. Or, perhaps he was just giving them time (it never takes long, does it?) to expose their own sinful hearts?
Then, he confronts them with it. It’s as if Jesus is telling us, whether we’re standing in the crowd, laying at his feet beaten and tattered, or polishing our stones in judgment, “Yes, she is guilty! But, how dare you rejoice in her guilt! Her sin is not a show to entertain you. It isn’t something to allow you to feel good about yourself. It’s a deep wound in her soul. It has cut her away from a loving God. Her sin (and yours as well now that you can see it) isn’t something to be celebrated. It breaks the very heart of God. And, if you really were any better than this poor woman, it would break yours as well. So, stone her if you’re so concerned about righteousness! But, stone yourselves as well!”
So, they set down their stones and they walked away. What else could they do? And, they needed to leave, because Jesus needs to be alone with the woman. He has something for her, a free gift, a present of God’s grace, a new beginning.
Text: John 8:10b-11 (NKJV) “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Deuteronomy 17:6-7 (NKJV) says, “6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.”
So, because there are no longer any accusers, Jesus can show the woman grace. He can offer her a new beginning. “… go and sin no more.” [John 8:12b (NKJV)]
Jesus doesn’t just send the woman away, he sends her away forgiven. He sends her away free. He sends her away with the opportunity of being different than she was before. He sends her away with the chance at a better life. He sends her away with a testimony and with the memory of God’s unmerited favor.
Conclusion:
Perhaps Jesus has done the same thing for you? I know He has done it for me.
I was guilty, and I knew it. I was trapped, and I hated it. I was a sinner. My life was an offense to the holiness of God. I deserved to die for my sin. My fate seemed sealed.
And then, Jesus reached down and drew in my dirt. He held back judgment with his patience. He stood between me and my accusers. He rescued me from the angry mob of hurting people of which I had so often been a part.
He took my stones, the ones polished for me, the ones I deserved. He used them to nail himself to the cross. He died in my place. He bore my sin. He became my sin.
And now? Now I am free! I am forgiven. I have a story like Israel, like Moses, like Ezra, like Joseph… I have a testimony and the memory of God’s undeserved grace in my life. I was given the opportunity of being different than I was before. I was sent away in love. I was sent away changed. I have been given a new beginning!
Have you made a new beginning? Have you accepted the grace Jesus offers for your life? Have you laid down your stones, gotten alone with the Savior, and accepted His free gift?
If you have, then my prayer is for your faith to be renewed today. Remember what He has done for you. Remember that the story of the woman caught in adultery was your story as well, whatever your sin was. Remember that you are living with a new beginning. You have a new life, a new destiny, a new purpose and meaning for who you are!
If you have not… if you have never realized before today that your sin has mastery over your life, that you are guilty, and that your only hope is for the only One truly fit to judge you to offer you grace instead. If you have never looked to Jesus for your salvation, and now your heart has been exposed and you find yourself lain out at His feet beaten and tattered. If you need a new beginning today, then I want to invite you to contact me, or a local Christian pastor, or a believing friend whose heart you trust. Don’t leave this post today the same way you arrived. Don’t leave here today without making a new beginning.
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