John 7:53-8:11

[[They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

John 7:53-8:11

This portion of scripture is considered by most to not be original and legit because the earliest manuscripts do not include it.  Though it may be highly contested and not considered scripture, we can still read through it and perhaps glean from it certain truths we know to be true from the rest of scripture.

The scene begins early the next morning at the temple where Jesus is teaching.  The scribes and the Pharisees bring a women to him who has been caught in adultery.  Asking Jesus what is to be done about this woman, they have set their trap and are waiting to see how Jesus falls into it.

The Trap
v3-5

The scribes and the Pharisees make mention of the Jewish law.  The passage is probably the one found in Deuteronomy 22.

“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
“If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Deuteronomy 22:22-24

What's interesting is that according to this verse, the scribes and the Pharisees have already failed to do what is right on their part.  They have failed to bring both the man and the woman.  Perhaps this means that the man was in on it and this was a setup all to catch Jesus.  This does not mean that the woman is not guilty of sin, but it's interesting to wonder why they failed to bring the man because there must have been one other person involved in order for this sin to take place.

The situation makes me wonder what I would've done in that situation.  I don't think I would have been able to make a wise choice.  I also wonder whether or not the scribes and the Pharisees knew what they would do either.  I have a feeling that the scribes and the Pharisees used this situation because they wouldn't have been able to get out of it either.  To the scribes and the Pharisees, there really is no way out.  Jesus can either condemn the women to death according to the Jewish law, or show mercy and allow her to live.  By condemning her to death, he would be adhering to the Jewish law, but then he may get into trouble with the Roman authorities.  However, if he allows her to live, he may not get into trouble with the Roman authorities, but the scribes and Pharisees can show that Jesus does not adhere to the Jewish law.  Either way, they see Jesus losing in the end.

Jesus' Unexpected Response 1
v6

In response, Jesus begins to do something that no one would've expected.  He doesn't answer them, but he begins to write on the ground.  Some people speculate that Jesus may have been writing the 10 commandments in the ground or perhaps the specific sins of the Pharisees and scribes.  Sadly, we don't know what he wrote, but perhaps it wasn't that important anyway.

Jesus' Unexpected Response 2
v7

After they continue to press him for an answer, Jesus provides another response that is unexpected.

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:7

Jesus does not choose either of the two choices the Pharisees and scribes expected.  Jesus acknowledges the Jewish law by allowing a stone be thrown.  However, he does it in a way that places the full weight of the law upon their shoulders.  Though they are asking Jesus what he would do, he places the duty on them to initiate the execution of the law.  Sure, she is guilty and deserves punishment, but what about the scribes and the Pharisees.  The spiritual elites may have thought themselves to be the moral elites, but even they must've realized that they aren't perfect.  None of them could claim to be without sin and so none of them could throw the first stone.  Sure, they could judge this woman by the law and find her guilty, but they fail to examine themselves.  Jesus has "trapped" them and they can offer no response.

The Aftermath: People (and Scribes and Pharisees)
v9

With nothing to say and nothing to do, they all leave.  No one has a leg to stand on because no one can claim to be without sin.  The text says that they leave starting with the older ones.  Perhaps the younger ones had hoped that there may have been one of them who could've thrown the first stone.  However, the older ones may have known that this wasn't the case and just left.

The Aftermath: Jesus and the Woman
v9-11

Everyone leaves until only two remain.  The two remaining are Jesus and the woman.  What's interesting is that now only one stands who has the ability to condemn this woman.  Jesus is without sin and so he can actually throw the first stone.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus is sinless.  He is the spotless lamb. Yet he does not throw the first stone.

Now, we can cheer in excitement for mercy to be shown to this woman.  We may even see ourselves needing mercy like this woman.  However, is just letting her go just?  Is Jesus being unjust by simply letting her go?  Sure, he tells her to go and sin no more, but she still remains unpunished.  As much as we may want her to go free, she still committed sin.  How is this injustice handled?  Well, there is either the storing up of wrath, or the payment via Jesus Christ.  Jesus can let her go without condemnation because he paid it all (or in this case, will have paid it all).  Let us be reminded of the seriousness of sin, but also be reminded of the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.