John 7:53,8:1-11

Relax, Read and Reflect

Prayer- Lord, Open our hearts and open our minds and help us learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.

⁵³Then each went to his own home.

John 8

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

¹¹"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus is going home when the mob brings the woman who had been caught committing adultery, (who about the guy she was committing with, did he get away?) The mob asked Jesus what they should do with her, (think Monty Python,) and this was a trap the leaders wanted to use against Jesus latter.

Jesus bent down and started to write in the dirt. Some scholars believe he was writing the sins of each of the men in the mob, (did I forget to mention the mob was all men-ala Monty Python?) Jesus told them that who ever is without sin can chunk the first rock, and one by one-starting with the eldest, the mob left.

The last verse is very important. Jesus asks the woman where are her accusers and she says they left. Jesus does not accuse, but tells her to leave...and stop her sin. He does not give her a pass forever, he forgives her and gives instruction on her future. This is how God acts. He can and does forgive our sins but wants us to change. God expects us to try to live a life that shows the world His love. He understands that sometimes we will stumble, but He does require us to repent and sin no more.

Questions:

1. What did the mob expect Jesus to do?

2. Why was it important for Jesus to defuse the mob?

3. Do we get a free pass when we accept Jesus?

Prayer- Dear Lord, Thank you for forgiveness. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do the right things and forgiving us when we fall short. Give us the strength and determination to continue to try. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.