We don't know this woman's name but simply that she was caught in the act of adultery
Jesus, the Judge of all the universe, does not condemn her but advises her to 'go and sin no more'
Jesus is dealing with a very complex situation
Not just the woman's adultery
The antagonism against Jesus: the plans to put Him to death, a failed arrest (7:45-46)
The Sanhedrin bring the woman to trap Jesus
Jesus is not preoccupied with His own situation
He deals with the woman in a gracious way
It was the Feast of Tabernacles
It was a joyful time of celebration
Perhaps this is where the woman was discovered
In the midst of all this there was antagonism against Jesus
Look at the three groups: The accusing men, the woman and Jesus
The accusing men
Interrupt Jesus' teaching
Announce this woman is guilty of a very serious sin
They were very religious
Orthodox Jews pray three times but Pharisees prayed 18 times a day
Jews were required to fast one day a year, but Pharisees fasted twice a week
The Pharisees obeyed many additional laws and rules
They were hypocrites
The ordinary people did not recognise this - they were intimidated by them
Jesus knew this and His teaching exposed their hypocrisy
We know that they were not living according to the truth because they hated Jesus
The Pharisees prayed and thanked God that they were not like other men
The thought they were above ordinary men
Jesus says that He came for sinners, to bring them to repentance
The Pharisees think they have Jesus trapped
If she should not be stoned - not following the law of Moses
If she should be stoned - inciting the Jews to break Roman laws
Amazingly Jesus speaks very little in this dangerous situation, but speaks with authority
The Pharisees did not recognise that they too needed the grace of God
The more self-righteous and legalistic the person, the more they hide their sin in their heart
David: gave way to temptation, committed adultery with Uriah's wife, tried to cover up his tracks, arranged to have Uriah killed in battle, married Bathsheba
Nathan rebukes David and he realises his hypocrisy
Do we face up to our need of God?
How do we think about others when they are having problems?
Do we think we are not like other men (just like the Pharisees): they need God's grace but not me!?
Is there pride in our heart?
The woman
She is guilty
Both in the sense of what she has done is wrong
She feels her guilt
Have you ever been in that situation where you feel your unworthiness?
You feel utterly devastated - that there is no hope for you?
That was the case for this woman
She was caught in the very act, she was dragged to the temple
She didn't know where to look
She was before all the people - her very secret sin was exposed
There was no defense or escape
We sin and think that we will not be accountable for it
This woman suddenly realised she was accountable
Her reputation was destroyed
She faced the death penalty
She is facing the consequences of her sin
Everything is against her
She feels devastated and doesn't know where to turn
She was standing in the very presence of Jesus
He is so near and yet so far
Why would Jesus want to have anything to do with a woman brought fresh from the scene of adultery?
Have you ever been there?
The devil accusing you before God?
The devil saying there is no forgiveness, no way out
'When satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upwards I look and see Him who made an end of all my sin'
Jesus
Is compassionate
'Love divine, all loves excelling' (Hymn)
Is unbounding in His love
He came into the world to save sinners
Is grieved by the attitude of the accusing men
He stoops down to write in the sound
The continued asking so He answered them
Jesus is not thinking about minor sins
He is saying 'if you are pure in the area of sexual sin' then you cast the first sin
We all sin in thought, word and deed
None of us have kept the Ten Commandments
We are all subject to temptation - even Jesus (though He did not fall but lived a sinless life)
The men all left as they realised their sin - first the old men and then the younger men
Old men are not 'holy' - they know their sin
Jesus had the right to condemn
The woman was still not free as she was standing before Jesus
However, Jesus did not condemn her
Jesus came into the world to save men and women from their sin
Jesus would die for people's sin - even this recent sin of adultery
Jesus paid the price for our sin so we could go free
There is a massive difference between the pride and legalism of these men and the grace of God in Jesus
We (including in this church) are all needy of God's grace
Have you experienced this love and amazing grace?
The man caught in adultery might have thought 'it's my lucky day' and the woman might have thought 'it's over' - but this is not the case
For the man - there is no such thing as having a 'lucky day' and getting away with sin
For the woman it was not the end but the beginning
