“…He That isWithout Sin…”

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act” … “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 …”

John 8 – v3 and 7

In John 8 verses 3 to 11, we read about the woman presented to Jesus, who had been taken in adultery.  This incident is a wonderful example of Our Lord’s authority – and His unbounded awareness of everyone and everything.

The Scribes and Pharisees, who were intent on bringing Him down, made it their mission to trip Him up or catch Him out.  Foolish men indeed – for who can deceive the All Knowing, Wonderful Saviour of the World?

The story goes as follows; Jesus is in the Temple when some Scribes and Pharisees bring before Him a woman “taken in adultery, in the very act…”  

 “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?”

Jesus, we read stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground, appearing not to hear them.  So they repeated themselves, and then Jesus spoke those well known words; He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”  And then He again stooped down and wrote on the ground.

We then read that each of those accusers “being convicted by their own conscience”  went out, leaving only Jesus and the woman.  Having asked her where her accusers were, “hath no man condemned thee?  she looked around and said, no man Lord. Jesus replied; “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

There is rather more to this episode than meets the eye.  First of all what was it that Jesus was writing on the floor – and why was He writing on the floor?  I have 2 very helpful books that reveal this.  The Institutes of Biblical Law, by Rousas John Rushdoony, and Man Thinking which was originally put together by the Canadian BIWF – the foreword at the front being written in 1970. 

Back in Numbers 5 verses 16 – 24, we read that someone suspected of committing adultery was to be treated as follows, to establish whether guilty or not; “the priest took ‘holy water in an earthen vessel’, and put ‘of the dust of the floor of the tabernacle into the water.’.  Then with the bitter water that causeth the curse in his hand, he chargeth the woman by oath.  Next  he wrote the curses in a book and blotted them out with the bitter water that causeth the curse.  Whereupon if she were guilty , she fell under a terrible penalty testifying to her sin.  If she was innocent , nothing followed.”

The important point to understand here is that the woman in question was not under suspicion! She was, remember, caught in the very act!  Also there was no husband accusing her. Only the Scribes and Pharisees.

Mr Rushdoony quotes from J. W. Burgon, that the sin of adultery was prevalent to a great extent amongst the ‘Jews’ of that time, and that the above enactment of the law was then rarely if at all practised.  In fact those accusing the woman were most certainly as guilty of adultery as the woman.  So in today’s terms you could say they were trying to ‘set Him (Jesus) up’!

So, when we consider the action of Our Lord in writing something on the floor, if we tie it up with the afore mentioned Temple acts, we see clearly that our Lord knew what they were up to, and knew of their guilt.  Thus when we consider the little used trial from Moses’ times, and look into Jesus’ actions perhaps we can understand what He was doing.

Did Jesus deal with the Scribes and Pharisees as if they were the guilty party? 

“Into His presence – the incarnate Jehovah, they all were, when He stooped down and wrote on the ground. It was a bitter sentence against the adulterer and adulteress He wrote.  If we assume some connection between the curse He thus traced ‘in the dust of the floor of the tabernacle’ (His ‘book’) and the words He uttered with His lips, and one could be declared to have ‘taken of the dust and put it on the water’ and caused them to drink of the bitter water that causeth the curse.’

For – by His Holy Spirit, our great High Priest in human flesh addressed the adulterers – presenting to them with Living Water in an Earthen Vessel.  He further, by His actions charged them with an oath of cursing, saying in effect; ‘if ye have not gone aside to uncleanness be ye free from bitter water, if defiled…’

Presented with which alternative, they of their own acquittal go out one by one – convicted by their own conscience.  So, basically Jesus turned the tables on them.  Rather like in the story of Esther, where Haman, who had tried to have her, Mordeai and their people killed ended up being put to death himself.  The Lord is not mocked!  (Did you know that Esther and Mordecai though called ‘Jews’ in the Bible were actually Benjamites – see Esther 2 v 5).

Now let us go back to the woman who was brought before Jesus as having been caught in the act of adultery.  After her accusers had gone, there was only Jesus Himself and the woman. Jesus Christ is the one person Who has the right to Judge us all.  But when He speaks to the woman, after the accusers had fled, you get a sense of gentleness and love from our Lord.  At least that is how I feel.

Again, I feel there is a reason for this.  The woman surely depicts God’s people Israel,  to whom He was as a husband.  “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel…” (Isaiah 54 v 5).  Israel, as we knew committed adultery and was put away and given a bill of divorce. 

“Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord, and Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

John 8 v11

Jesus did not condemn the woman because His people Israel, His Bride, was not condemned.  When Israel was cast away out of God’s sight as it were, He still loved her.  She was under a curse because of her sin, and the law said she must be put away. But Jesus Christ’s, mission which would see His death as the ultimate and pure sacrifice for all our sins, would also fulfil another role.  If the husband dies, the woman is free to marry again.  She is no longer under the curse of the adulterer.  Therefore His Israel People, now dwelling in the Isles afar off, under another name, were freed from their ancestor’s acts of adultery, and can now give their hearts where they will – hopefully to Jesus Christ – their soon to be husband.

The event of the woman taken in adultery is a heart warming one for those of true Israel.  The Lord loves His people – His bride.  (Thank goodness, for we have, and continue to sin greatly), and desires to have us back under his Holy Wings – if we will but return to Him and confess our sins.  But for those who are his enemies – woe betides!

Let me end with a quote from Man Thinking;

 “Unrighteous, law-breaking men are not fit to judge others who are also breaking the same law themselves.” (Page 84)

This seems to be the case today.  Satan the great accuser rouses people up to judge others for things they themselves are guilty of.  This ‘disease’ is rife today.  Our Great and Righteous King, Jesus Christ is the one True Judge, and from Him nothing is hid!

Amen.