Go and Sin No More

John 8:3-11
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. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 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. 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. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 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 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? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Early in the morning Jesus went into the temple and all the people came unto Him and He sat and taught them. Just then the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman caught in the very act of adultery. This woman had no way to escape from them because they caught her red-handed. Usually such acts of sin are done in the dark for they are actions of the darkness. Here the woman was involved in a sinful act during the morning hours and her sinful act was brought to light and presented before the Master, the divine Judge. The scribes and Pharisees thought of a way to tempt Jesus and accuse Him. In fact the very trick they conspired against Jesus was going to trap them in guilt. Matthew 23:13 says, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” It is clear in this verse that the scribes and Pharisees shut up the kingdom of heaven against men and neither did they go in themselves. They brought the sinful woman to the Master not with a good intention but to condemn and kill her and in turn tempt Jesus. They were not considering the beam in their own eye. Matthew 7:3 says, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” They were pointing a finger at this woman not considering their own sins.

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. According to the law a woman when guilty of adultery should be stoned to death. Deuteronomy 22:21 says, “Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.” The scribes and Pharisees wanted to find fault with Jesus to see if He would contradict the law just so that they could find a way to accuse Him. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to free a sinner by bringing him to the knowledge of repentance. Mark 2:17 says, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The law brings to knowledge the sinful nature of humans and Jesus came to forgive a sinner and make a way for the sinner to go to the Father. Law condemns a sinner and the punishment of the sin has to be borne by the humans; Jesus, a lone man and God, bore the sin of the entire human race and took the punishment on our behalf thus granting us the key to heaven. All we have to do is believe in Jesus Christ. He did not come for the righteous but for the sinners. Righteous have no need of a savior but the sinners do. Matthew 5:17 says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus says that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. No man can fulfill the law because we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus came so as to fulfill the law because He alone can do it for He was holy and without sin. He fulfilled the law by being sin-free yet took our sin upon Him so that we may have eternal life.

But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. Jesus stooped down and wrote with His finger on the ground as though He did not hear the accusers. He stooping down to write signifies how He stooped down from heaven to earth for the sinners’ sake. This brings to my mind His humility compared to the haughtiness of the accusers. They are ready to condemn the sinner but Jesus is ready to forgive the sinner. What He wrote with His finger on the ground is not mentioned. His writing on the ground to me means His readiness to erase our sins. What is written on the ground stays not for the wind and the erosion will wipe it away. In other words, He paid no attention to the accusers by putting a deaf ear to them but was well aware of the woman in sin that He stooped down and wrote with His finger portraying His heart of forgiveness.

The scribes and Pharisees continued asking Him and so He lifted up himself for He was gracious to the proud and the haughty too. He said to them that any among them without sin should first cast a stone at her. He again stooped down and wrote on the ground. They who tempted Him were now subject to test their own selves. When we search our hearts to see if there is any guile in it, we would know how unworthy and selfish we are. When we ask Him to try our hearts, He will reveal unto us our areas of weaknesses and this will break our hearts seeking Him for we are nothing without Him. By Him the weak can say I am strong, the poor can say I am rich and the sinner can say I am free. When we turn to Him with honesty and humility, His saving grace is all over us and His forgiveness is right there for us and His power is available to lift us up.

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. This response of the Judge before them convicted them of their own conscience and one by one from the eldest to the last every accuser left. The Master opened their eyes to their own sinful life and they could see they had no right to cast a stone at her. Conscience is the inner sense of what is right or wrong. Conscience spoke to them their very sinful nature. Romans 3:23 clearly says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Yes everybody without exception has sinned. All the accusers left the place except Jesus and the accused.

When Jesus lifted up Himself and saw none except the woman, He asked the woman where her accusers were and if no man has condemned her. Her answer was “No man, Lord”. Jesus’ question was more to light up her soul of His forgiveness and acceptance of her. Jesus hated the sin but loved the sinner and we should follow suit. He never condemned a sinner but enlightened the sinner of sin and repentance. His goal was to grant us eternal life in place of eternal damnation. His love for us is the kind of love that no man can ever show unto us. He accepts us with open arms and brings us to His kingdom if we break open our hearts and cry for repentance. No accuser had the potential to condemn her. They came exuberantly triumphing over the lost sinner to condemn her but went silently and sheepishly with the weight of their own sin before them.

Jesus said unto her “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. The only person who had the authority to condemn her stayed on and that was Jesus. But He did not condemn her for His heart was not a condemning heart but a heart that loves a sinner. He spoke the words of life into her by saying that He too will not condemn her but go and sin no more. In other words, He said that her sins are forgiven. Yes, the Son of Man has power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). Not only were her sins forgiven but she was given the freedom to go out into the world sin-free. She was given life in place of death. Jesus forgives you and me just like He forgave this woman. No matter where we have been or how sinful we were, He accepts us readily by forgiving us of our sins and granting us life eternal. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The Lord God is ready to wipe out our every transgression and blot out our iniquities and turn our sins that are as scarlet into white as snow. Won’t you accept His free gift of salvation? Won’t you grab His forgiveness? Don’t you want to be free and gain eternal life? Any person with wisdom cannot reject His wonderful gift of salvation. He is a God who does not condemn us but forgives us COMPLETELY if we believe in His only son Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Amen!

Tomorrow: The Widow with Debt