March 17 -- John 8:1-11
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7 (NIV)

You might notice that John 7:53-8:11 is set apart in italics or relegated to a footnote in your Bible. This is because the earliest extant Greek manuscripts (before the 5th century) do not contain these verses, and when they do start to appear in manuscripts, they show up in three other places in the book of John. Depending on the manuscript, they might come after John 7:36, 7:44, or 21:25, and in some manuscripts, they show up after Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53. That said, many experts believe the story of the woman caught in adultery is a real event from Jesus’ life that circulated by mouth among believers and was later added to the Gospel of John. The story is certainly consistent with the character and manner of both Jesus and the Pharisees. It is also consistent with the way the Pharisees regularly tried to trap Jesus and how He would use their attempts at entrapment to teach the Gospel.
This passage tells us that Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when the religious leaders brought in a woman caught in adultery. They asked Jesus what should be done with her, hoping to trap Him between His compassion and the Law. The leaders knew from Jesus’ teaching that He would not sentence the woman to death, but if He didn’t, He would be directly contradicting the Law of Moses (see Deuteronomy 22:22 and Leviticus 20:10).
Jesus wasn’t trapped at all. He simply replied, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). This statement revealed both the Pharisees’ own need for forgiveness and their incomplete understanding and misuse of the Law. All of the Mosaic Law is founded on loving God and loving your neighbor (see Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:37-40). This doesn’t mean we should condone sin. [After all, Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (v. 11).] But it does mean that if we pursue holiness and righteousness without a deep sense of God’s grace and forgiveness in our own lives, then we will become cruel hypocrites.
Jesus came to give us this grace and forgiveness. When we accept these gifts from Him as our Savior, we are “born again.” Then, the Holy Spirit begins conforming us to Jesus’ image so that we are moved to offer grace and forgiveness to others the way He offers it to us.
Consider: How have I refused to offer the grace to others that I have received? If I have refused to offer grace, have I fully accepted and experienced God’s grace myself? (Perhaps I am judging myself for something God has forgiven me for if I am also judging others?)
Talk to God about the specific ways you have experienced His grace and forgiveness in your own life and thank Him for this. Ask Him to show you any hardness in your heart toward others’ sins and ask Him to help you view their sin through your experience of His grace.
Comments