John 8:4-5,7 AMPC
Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. [5] Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women-offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her-what is Your sentence]? [7] However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
In Biblical times, punishment was meted out by stoning.
These religious leaders had obviously hatched a plan to catch Jesus out.
So they were up early, hanging around someone's bedroom, peeping through curtains, to find some woman having an affair.
Then they must have gate-crashed the liaison and dragged her out [perhaps half naked] to bring her before Jesus, who was surrounded by a crowd in the temple, teaching!
It's a shocking scene. An act of gross personal intrusion and callous judgmentalism.
But Jesus turns the tables on them.
He states: "Ok the law says to stone her, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone."
Hmmm... there must have been a deafening silence... as each one had to examine their own behaviour before the all-seeing eyes of Jesus.
Hear the "thud thud" of the stones being dropped by the accusers.
No one can stand before Jesus in innocence. We are all so very guilty.
The passage states that Jesus was writing in the sand. Was He listing their sins, one by one?
All the accusers left... Jesus told the lady: "Go and sin no more"...
She was forgiven, but tasked with changing her future behaviour.
Jesus was the only One who could have, in all righteousness, stoned her - but He had laid down the stone of condemnation.
So often we think that God is ready to pelt us with "boulders of judgement" when we fail Him, but He sent His Son to be the target of His Wrath, on our behalf.
Satan, the accuser, loves to throw his savage stones of indictment at us, but Jesus has stood between him and us and taken those blows.
Romans 8:33 AMPC
Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]
I need to examine my heart to ensure that I lay down those spiritual stones of judgement aimed at myself and others.
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