John 8:6-10

 

John 8:6 (KJB)

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.

 

Tempting - Put to the test or entice to sin

 

They could care less about the law because all they wanted to do was trap Jesus and somehow get Him to speak against the Mosaic law and the penalty for adultery. As they spoke, Jesus had stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger as if He was not paying attention and yet within a few minutes, they would have the most serious lesson about sin they ever had. Now no one knows what Jesus wrote on the ground but whatever it was, it was no doubt convicting. It may be linked to Ezekiel 43:11 where Ezekiel was told to write the things that the people of Judah had done to shame them or it may be linked to Daniel 5, where King Belshazzar had thrown a drunken banquet and used the holy vessels of the temple that his father took. Just as the kingdom of Belshazzar was taken from him, so in 37 years the kingdom of Israel would be taken from the leaders of Israel for their wrong use of the Temple. Whatever Jesus wrote on the ground, it was definitely convicting as we shall see.

 

(Ezek 43:11 KJV) And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

 

(Dan 5:5-6 KJV) In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. {6} Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

 

John 8:7 (KJB)

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.

 

Continued - Persisted

Without sin - Faultless or sinless (only place in NT where word is used)

 

As Jesus wrote on the ground, the ones surrounding Him had persisted in asking Him what to do about the woman caught in adultery. Jesus knew that they were setting Him up and they probably thought that they somehow had Him cornered because of His silence and was as if He was ignoring them. Yet, within the next sentence He speaks to them and causes each one in the crowd to face the fact of their own sinfulness. He basically confronts them by asking the ones among them who are sinless to let them cast the first stone because they would have the right to do that. This is probably one of the most greatest verses on accountability, because a person, when asked this question, will definitely realize how sinful they are and that there is no one perfectly sinless who does not need a Savior. If more churches would use this method when gossip starts to rise about someone, whether innocent or guilty, it would cause an epidemic of humility and people would be very careful to avoid gossiping about someone lest the light of guilt be shone on them.

 

John 8:8 (KJB)

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

 

Here shows the power of the word of God. Jesus did not stand there and look at each one in the eye and confront them. He went back to writing on the ground. The word of God is so powerful that it causes the people to consider what was said. This is why when we preach the Word of God, we do not have to wonder if it will have any effect on those who hear because the next verse shows the power the word of God exercises over people.

 

John 8:9 (KJB)

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.

 

Convicted - Reproved, put to shame, proved or determined to be guilty

 

This shows that self-righteousness is not true righteousness because those who heard what Jesus said were convicted in their conscience of their own sinfulness. Each one there knew they were sinful and especially the ones who had planned this charade knew they were guilty and were probably the first ones to leave. Finally, all of them left, even the leaders, because they would have known that they too were sinners. (1 Ki 8:46 KJV) If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 1 Kings 8:46 teaches plainly that there is no man that sinneth not. It is interesting that the crowd dispersed from the eldest to the last one. Those who are the oldest would realize they had a longer life and that their sins would be many. Finally, Jesus was left alone with the woman who had stood in the middle of the crowd, probably waiting for the first stone to hit her.

 

John 8:10 (KJB)

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?

 

Jesus was so confident in His word that He had stayed stooped on the ground until the last one left. This is a great principle because as we teach and preach the word of God, we too, can count on the power of it and need not be present to watch it work as it will still have effect in the future. When Jesus finally arose after all the accusers had left, He asks the woman where are your accusers? If Jesus would have condemned her, then they would have stoned her but the prerequisite for the stoning was the one without sin had to cast the first stone. Since there was no one without sin, then no one could cast that first stone. Then Jesus asks her the second question. “Hath no man condemned thee?” Since there were no accusers, there would be no condemnation for her sin. This does not mean that she was innocent in this charge but it means that those who were as guilty of sin as she was, had no right to condemn her. (John 5:22 KJV) For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: The only one who had the right to condemn her was Jesus and that will be at the Great White Throne Judgment provided she did not become saved.

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