THE COMPASSION AND MERCY OF CHRIST

Passage: John 7:53-8:11

Key verse: 8:11b

NIV

[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

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

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

9 At 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. 10 Jesus 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,”(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(I)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.][a]

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 [[They went each to his own house, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 (A)Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and (B)he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now (C)in the Law, Moses commanded us (D)to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said (E)to test him, (F)that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, (G)“Let him who is without sin among you (H)be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 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. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, (I)“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on (J)sin no more.”]]

Footnotes
  1. John 7:53 Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations in the text
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. The trap (7:53-8:6a) Does your heart go out to this woman who was caught in adultery? Mine does, because I am a sinner as well. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were ruthless, bringing the woman before Jesus and demanding that he declare whether or not she should be stoned. It was a horrible trap. They knew of his compassion for sinners and thought he might incriminate himself by disregarding the Law of Moses. On the other hand, if he consented to her being stoned, he would be violating Roman law. The tension was palpable and all eyes were on Jesus. One wonders what the woman was thinking during all of this. Did she know of Jesus and his love? 2. "Neither do I condemn you" (6b-11) At first, Jesus didn't say anything. The religious leaders persisted and finally Jesus straightened up and said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Christ, in his wonderful wisdom, exposed their hypocrisy. All of them had sinned and deserved the punishment they sought to inflict on the woman. After a few moments, Jesus was the only one left with the woman. He was the only one who had any right to cast a stone, but he didn't. Instead, he forgave her and commanded her to leave her life of sin.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and compassion.

One Word: Neither do I condemn you