John 7:53 - 8:11. ‘Guilt’
This passage in John’s gospel about the woman caught in adultery presents problems as it is found in hardly any of the early Greek manuscripts, although it is found in most medieval ones. It is also missing from most of the earliest Old Latin, Syriac, Coptic and Armenian manuscripts. None of the early church Fathers include commentaries on this passage in their writings on John’s gospel, jumping from 7:52 to 8:12. No Eastern commentators refer to this passage before the 10th century. Several of the later manuscripts indicate in the text that there is doubt about the authenticity of this being in the original version when written by John. Some manuscripts place this story in Luke’s gospel or elsewhere in John which again raises doubt as to its Johannine authorship. Furthermore there are some expressions in this story that are not found elsewhere in John’s writings but are found in the other three gospels. Thus Scribes and Pharisees are frequently found together in the Synoptic gospels but nowhere else in John. Both Matthew and Luke refer to Jesus ‘sitting down’ to teach but nowhere else in John.
However there is widespread acceptance that this event did occur and that we have a faithful record, even if it was not in the original version of John’s gospel so we are right in looking at what it teaches.
The opening sentence strongly supports this being a true story.
“Then each went to his own home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” John 7:53
This closely tallies with details that Luke records around six months later, just before his crucifixion,
“Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.” Luke 21:37-38
The Garden of Gethsemane is on the Mount of Olives and as the Feast of Tabernacles is held in the autumn, usually October, it is understandable that during this time Jesus preferred to sleep in the open air, away from public attention. It would enable him to be back in the temple courts at dawn to teach. A large crowd then gathered around Jesus, who taught seated. These details give a ‘ring of truth’ to the story.
The Trap is Set
It would appear that early on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in ‘a woman caught in the act of adultery’. This strongly suggests that there had been collusion between the authorities as it must have taken some time for the plot to be thought through. They made her stand before Jesus and they asked a carefully planned question.
“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” John 8:5
There are holes in the case they present to Jesus for judgment. No witnesses were brought forwards to support their claims and Jesus is being asked to take the word of the Pharisees, men who we know were ready to twist evidence. If this woman was caught in the act of adultery the obvious question is, ‘Where is her partner?’ Why was he not also accused? The next verse gives the answer,
“For they were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.” John 8:6
Several times earlier we have read of this prejudiced animosity against Jesus and the religious authorities determination to prevent him teaching any further. For example,
“So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.” John 6:16
“For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him . . .” John 6:18
“Why are you trying to kill me?” John 7:19
“At this time they tried to seize him . . .” John 7:30
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.” John 7:32
“Some wanted to seize him . . “ John 7:44
It would seem that Jesus’s accusers were asking a fair question until you understand that no execution by stoning for adultery had occurred in Israel for several hundred years. If they had a genuine concern both for justice and for the woman, which the law demands, they would surely have dealt with the problem in private and not paraded her in public as a showpiece. If the eradication of adultery in society was their concern then both of those involved in this affair would have been accused. If the case had been tried earlier in private, the court would have already made a judgment on the penalty so why ask Jesus, if not to try and humiliate him publicly.
The woman was made to stand in front of the crowd and was accused publicly but no evidence was brought forward.
“In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?” John 7:5
The law the authorities were referring to dealt with the concern that adultery, a cancer of societies, should be discouraged in the strongest way possible. The laws they referred to were,
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife – with the wife of his neighbour – both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10
“If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” Deuteronomy 22:22
Note that both the man and woman were to pay the ultimate penalty and the reason for this is the effect such practices have on society. Societies that fail to restrict sexual activity to that between a man and his wife have always paid a heavy price.
This concern over the impact of promiscuous sexual relations is repeated throughout the Bible. The consequences for those involved in such practices are horrendous – they will be excluded from God’s presence.
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual . . . will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Jesus’ Response
At first Jesus says nothing but instead does something strange,
“But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.” John 8:7
What is going on here? Some have suggested that Jesus wrote out a verse from Jeremiah.
“Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.” Jeremiah 17:13
Others have suggested other Old Testament verses such as,
“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.” Exodus 23:1
“Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:7
These would fit in well because the people were forsaking their Lord, were being malicious witnesses and it may have been a false charge but if these were the explanations it is strange that John does not say so. What he does emphasise is that Jesus wrote ‘with his finger’. Why didn’t he use a stick or other implement?
Could it be that the key is the word ‘finger’? In the Old Testament the ‘finger of God’ is a repeated theme. After the plague of gnats the Egyptian magicians say to Pharaoh,
“ ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen” Exodus 8:19
The two stone tablets of the law, given to Moses on Mount Sinai were:
“ . . . inscribed by the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18
When God’s judgment on the Babylonians was announced at King Belshazzar’s feast as they ‘praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone’, it was made through strange writing on the wall,
“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall . . .” Daniel 5:5
In all these cases the ‘finger of God’ was a ‘finger of judgement’. Jesus himself used the phrase, to describe his own judgment of Satan,
“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom has come to you.” Luke 11:20
Overall I suspect that this is why John simply says,
“Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.” John 8:7
His is the finger of judgment, his finger is the finger of God. This is what John has been saying about Jesus throughout his book.
It would appear that Jesus still said nothing in spite of the repeated questions being thrown at him. Finally he stands up straight and makes his pronouncement,
“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
Hypocrisy is, in God’s eyes, a terrible sin and here Jesus is warning his accusers about this. Again Jesus,
“. . . stooped down and wrote on the ground.” John 8:8
Again we are not told what the finger of God wrote but the effect was that Jesus’ accusers drifted away, one by one.
Can you imagine the scene as Jesus then confronts the woman face to face with just the crowd looking on. Surely his face would have demonstrated the love God has for sinners.
“‘Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?’ ‘No-one sir,’ she said.” John 8:11
Then comes the wonderful verdict of the eternal judge of all people,
“Then neither do I condemn you.” John 8:11
The relief that the woman experienced must have been overwhelming. Surely she must have become one of Jesus’ followers after his saving her. What a lesson for us. If we have been forgiven by Christ and have asked him to take responsibility for our sins on his cross, how can we be slack, casual and haphazard in our service of him?
Jesus came to save people and this is his priority here. John repeatedly emphasises that salvation is the ambition of God, not judgment.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17
There is a judgment to come but Christ longs that people should avoid this by joining his kingdom.
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him on that day.” John 12:47-48
In the Old Testament there is a beautiful example of this grace of God. The prophet Nathan confronted King David because of his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband Uriah. He didn’t publicly accuse him but confronted him face to face. When David confesses and repents Nathan pronounces the Lord’s forgiveness.
“The LORD has taken away your sin.” 2 Samuel 12:13
Is Grace a permit to keep sinning?
There are some who would like to box in this doctrine of full ‘forgiveness simply through faith in Christ’ because they fear it opens the door for people to keep sinning and then keep returning back for forgiveness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus declared to the woman,
“Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:11
When we recognise who Jesus is and accept the forgiveness he offers we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit – we are baptised in the Spirit. This is to empower us to life henceforth for Christ and with Christ, representing him in the way we think, live and speak.
If we belong to Christ we should judge ourselves and consequently behave in a way that pleases our Lord. This is to live under ‘the law of grace’. This is a much higher standard than religious law which can only control outward behaviour, the law of the spirit controls our thoughts.
Should we ever make judgements?
Some have misused this story to suggest that no-one should ever judge the actions of others. Society clearly needs magistrates and judges to keep law and order and churches need good governance from their leaders. The subtle implication of those who generalise, and say, ‘Don’t judge’ means we should never make judgments about others deeds is not what the Bible is saying. In the previous chapter Jesus has told us to make right judgments.
“Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment.” John 7:24
The challenge of this passage is the reminder that we are all guilty of sin and must therefore be very careful when we criticise others. The point must always be to restore people to godly living. Our attitude to others should be that of Jesus who embodies the nature of God.
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness . . .” Exodus 34:6
John Wesley, the eighteen century revivalist preacher who started Methodist communities throughout Britain went to visit one of these house-churches in Norfolk. He enquired of the leader of the group what talent he felt the Lord had especially endowed him with. The man replied,
“Sir, I consider that I have been given the gift of seeing the faults in other people.”
To this Wesley replied,
“Sir, I consider that that is one talent that the Lord would have you bury.”
Christians have been given this Spirit of God so must behave accordingly. Paul wrote,
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you may be tempted. Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 5:6
BVP
