John 8

I love this chapter!  Jesus is going at it again, teaching in the temple and drawing a crowd.  In the middle of His lesson, the Scribes and Pharisees (experts in the law) bring a woman who has been caught in an affair.  They interrupt His lesson with yet another test of His knowledge.  "Teacher this woman has been caugth in adultery, in the very act." Now I'm not sure how they caught her in the act nor will I speculate.  However, it is interesting that there is no man present standing trial alongside her.  They continue "the Law Moses comanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"

I'm sure the experts in the law were thinking "this guy is preaching love and forgiveness, let's see what he does with this!  Now we've got him!" Instead of reacting to this challenge, Jesus calmly writes with his finger in the sand.  I'm not sure what he is writing but when He is done, He looks up and says "He who is without sin among you, let him be teh first to throw a stone at her." Whoa!  If I had been in that crowd I think I might slip out the back!  The text says that they slipped out "one by one".  Yeah they did!  What do you say to a challenge like that?  None of us is without sin.  I still have to wander if the guy responsible for the whole mess was the first to slip out.

It is a good priniciple to remember, "He who is without sin among you, let him be first to throw a stone." How many times have we jumped to conclusions and condemned someone for something we are guilty of ourselves.  Even if we are not guilty of that sin, we are guilty of others.  It is really easy in our "reality TV" culture to look at others and talk about how bad they are not realizing that we are just as messed up and guilty in other areas of our lives.  Remember that this week as you go back to school or work.  Maybe it is time for you to put your stone down and walk away.

Cool Facts:
Jesus writes in the sand with His finger.  Many theologians speculate what He is doing here.  One theologian said that he thought Jesus was writing names of people in the crowd that are guilty of adultery.  Interesting thought right?

At the end of this chapter, Jesus utters the phrase "Before Abraham was I am." It was a clear statement of who Christ was.  He was claiming to be God.  The proof?  The people present picked up stones to throw at Him.  The penalty for claiming to be God when you are not (heresy).