John 8:2-5

2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 

4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 

5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

“All the People Came to Jesus”

First of all, I have a footnote in my Bible that says that this story was not in some of the earlier manuscripts. My Bible footnote says it is found in about 900 manuscripts. Here is some information that I found explaining possible reasons why it is not in some of them. 

This does not mean that this story is not historical or accurate. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of this story. What is being noted is that this story is not in this location in early manuscripts. Some think the story was taken out by people because it seems to condone adultery. Some think the story was never in John’s gospel but tradition attached it at this point. Either way, the historicity of this text is not in question. It is simply a question of whether this story belongs right here, somewhere else in John’s gospel, or in a location in one of the other gospels. (West Palm Beach church of Christ)

The bottom line is this…..God’s Word is perfect, so this story is meant to be there. Man may have tried to omit it for whatever reason, but God meant for it to be there, or it wouldn’t be there. 

In verse 2, we find Jesus back in the temple early in the morning. It says “all” the people came to Him. This tells me that a fairly large number of people must have been there, and they were hungry for Jesus. They were there early, hoping to hear the Master Teacher speak more Words of Life. Jesus didn’t waste any time. He sat down and began to teach them. Jesus had something that people craved. His teachings were satisfying to their souls and filled a void within them that the law could never fill, and they wanted more. Jesus’ teachings on everlasting life, living water, and the bread of life were positive and soothing to the people. The people’s curiosity about Jesus kept them coming back for more. I can just hear the people talking amongst themselves when they awoke that morning…..“What will this man, Jesus of Nazareth, teach next? Let’s go to the temple and see if He is there teaching, so we can hear more! Do you think He is really the Messiah?” 

Then, in verses 3 and 4, the Pharisees and scribes interrupted Jesus’ teaching by bringing a woman into the temple who had been caught in adultery, not just accused of adultery, but actually “caught in adultery, in the very act.”  In verse 5, they tell Jesus that the law of Moses commands that she be stoned. Then they proceed to ask Jesus, “But what do you say?” Here is what the law actually says about the penalty for adultery. In Leviticus 20:10, it reads, “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” In Deuteronomy 22:22, it reads, “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.” So the penalty is death for adultery, not necessarily by stoning, but that was the common way that they did it. We know that the Pharisees’ and scribes’ motive was not to uphold the law, but to try to put a stumbling block in front of Jesus. How do we know that their motives weren’t pure from these verses? We find out their motives in verse 6 of tomorrow’s writing, but we can infer that their motives aren’t pure, even if we don’t have verse 6 to confirm it. How do we know? Look at Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 again. Who is to receive the death penalty in these verses? Is the woman the only one at fault? My question is… where is the man with whom this woman had committed adultery? I mean…it takes two! Shouldn’t he have been brought to the temple with the woman if true justice was to be served? I am seeing a double standard here! This is not about justice at all! I also find it so hypocritical that these Pharisees and scribes wanted to not only discredit Jesus but have Him arrested and killed, yet they called Him “teacher” or “rabbi,” which is a title of respect. They, in fact, had no respect at all for Jesus. 

What lessons can we glean from these verses alone? On the surface, these verses just seem to be purely informational, but since I have been involved in this scripture writing, I see lessons in everything! It is amazing! What can we learn from the people who came early to the temple to hear Jesus? Well, they were obviously hungry for Jesus. Am I hungry for Jesus? Am I hungry for His Word? Matthew 5:6 reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Where do we find righteousness? We find it in Jesus. We find out how to live a righteous life through His Word. Here is a comforting thought from Psalm 107:9, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Nothing about the world could ever satisfy my soul or fill my hungry soul with goodness! Only Jesus can do that through His Word. 

What can we learn from the Pharisees and scribes in these verses? Our motives for judgment of others are everything. This is another lesson in righteous judgment. The judgment that they were placing on this woman was not righteous, because their motive for bringing her before Jesus was not pure. They didn’t care about this woman’s well-being. They didn’t care about her soul. They certainly didn’t care about the man’s soul who had been involved in adultery with the woman. Fairness was certainly not present in this situation since they were condemning only the woman. Are my motives pure in my judgment of others? Is my judgment righteous? Do I have the person’s soul in mind? Am I fair in my judgement? Is it ok for a person that I know and care about (maybe a member of my family) to commit a specific sin, but not ok for someone I don’t know or care about? Do I place double standards on others?

What can I learn from Jesus in these verses? No matter how many times the Jewish leaders disrespected Jesus, He just kept on teaching the people who would listen. He kept on coming to the temple and feeding the people the Words of Life. He never stopped trying to get people to see the truth while He was alive on earth, because He loved them and wanted them to have eternal life, just like He wants us to have eternal life. He never gave up until He took His last breath. We can never give up either. We fight the good fight, we finish the race, we keep the faith, and take as many others over that finish line along with us as we possibly can. (2 Timothy 4:7)

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)