October 7, 2020 (Wednesday)
No doubt you have read or heard about John 8:1-11, the story of Jesus and the woman accused of adultery. Her accusers wanted to stone her, but dropped their stones and left the scene when Jesus said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”
This story is left out of most modern translations of the Bible because it does not appear in the earliest manuscripts.
A few translations, after noting the story is not in the earliest manuscripts, include it anyway because the scene described is so much like something Jesus would do, based on everything else we know about Him. Some of the translations include the passage as a footnote. Those who include the story like this are not saying it is definitely a part of the Bible but it teaches a lesson we need to hear.
Here’s the story, from The Living Bible:
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and talked to them. 3 As he was speaking, the Jewish leaders and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and placed her out in front of the staring crowd.4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 Moses’ law says to kill her. What about it?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote some more in the dust. 9 And the Jewish leaders slipped away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until only Jesus was left in front of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, sir,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
The woman was a sinner. The accusers were sinners. At the end of this scene they confess as much as they drop their stones and leave the scene. Their hypocrisy is despicable. Their rude interruption of Jesus’ teaching people in the Temple is calloused, unfeeling and insensitive. Their treatment of a fellow human being was ungodly. And where was her sexual partner? Why did not the crowd bring him also? Probably because he was part of the scheme to embarrass Jesus. The entire scenario was shameful.
Jesus showed us all how to have an attitude toward others that honors God. Sin dishonors God. Mercy exhalts His grace. Grace is extended toward us sinners because God loves us. He asks that we turn our back on sin (repent) and receive his forgiveness.
God loves all of in this world so much that He gave up His only Son for us all, so that when we believe in Him, we have everlasting life (paraphrase, John 3:16).
“Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16 NLT).
Saved by Grace
Words, Frances J. Crosby
Music, George C. Stebbins
1891
Someday the silver cord will break,
And I no more as now shall sing;
But, oh, the joy when I shall wake
Within the palace of the King!
Refrain:
And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story—Saved by grace.
Someday my earthly house will fall;
I cannot tell how soon ’twill be;
But this I know—my All in All
Has now a place in heav’n for me.
Someday, when fades the golden sun
Beneath the rosy tinted west,
My blessed Lord will say, “Well done!”
And I shall enter into rest.
Someday: till then I’ll watch and wait,
My lamp all trimmed and burning bright,
That when my Savior opes the gate,
My soul to Him may take its flight.