John 8:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
In this section, we have a very interesting narrative that has caused a lot of question marks for a lot of scholars and raised a lot of speculation on everything that transpires in this text.
To begin, we see that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and when morning came around, he returned to teaching in the temple. As he was teaching, the Pharisees brought a woman to Him that was caught in the act of adultery. They give Jesus the breakdown of the situation. Since she was caught, Moses commands that she must be stoned. They turn to ask Jesus what He says concerning this.
It is important to note what is really going on here. they are trying to trap Jesus, and Jesus knows as much. As one commentator put it, Jesus is the one on trial here. Not the woman. This pins Jesus in a difficult place. If Jesus declines her execution, He has to give reason as to why He would diminish Moses. However, if He agrees to it, then it could be seen as usurping the Roman authority. The Romans did not give just anyone authority to execute, and they did not see adultery as an executable offense. As far as they could tell, they got Jesus pinned.
Instead of responding with an answer, Jesus kneels down and begins drawing or writing in the dirt with his finger. They continue persisting with their questions until Jesus eventually stands and speaks.
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
-John 8:7
He kneels back down and continues writing. Each one becomes convicted and leaves, from the oldest on down. Eventually, the only ones who are left is Jesus and this woman. He asks her where they all were and if none accused her. She responds telling Him that none condemned her. Jesus then tells her that He also does not condemn her and instructs her to sin no more.
It is a powerful testimony! Let's see where this continues to go. In the mean time...
What observations are you making of this passage?
To begin, we see that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and when morning came around, he returned to teaching in the temple. As he was teaching, the Pharisees brought a woman to Him that was caught in the act of adultery. They give Jesus the breakdown of the situation. Since she was caught, Moses commands that she must be stoned. They turn to ask Jesus what He says concerning this.
It is important to note what is really going on here. they are trying to trap Jesus, and Jesus knows as much. As one commentator put it, Jesus is the one on trial here. Not the woman. This pins Jesus in a difficult place. If Jesus declines her execution, He has to give reason as to why He would diminish Moses. However, if He agrees to it, then it could be seen as usurping the Roman authority. The Romans did not give just anyone authority to execute, and they did not see adultery as an executable offense. As far as they could tell, they got Jesus pinned.
Instead of responding with an answer, Jesus kneels down and begins drawing or writing in the dirt with his finger. They continue persisting with their questions until Jesus eventually stands and speaks.
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
-John 8:7
He kneels back down and continues writing. Each one becomes convicted and leaves, from the oldest on down. Eventually, the only ones who are left is Jesus and this woman. He asks her where they all were and if none accused her. She responds telling Him that none condemned her. Jesus then tells her that He also does not condemn her and instructs her to sin no more.
It is a powerful testimony! Let's see where this continues to go. In the mean time...
What observations are you making of this passage?
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John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
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Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
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