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JESUS THE JUDGE OF JUDGES
LORD’S DAY, JULY 6
John 7:53-8:11

Psalm 51

 

“…He that is without sin among you,

let him first cast a stone at her.”

 

JESUS THE JUDGE OF JUDGES
 
The scribes and Pharisees had caught this woman in the act of adultery. They brought her to Jesus and asked Him how He would judge this case: “Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” They did this to trap and destroy Jesus. It was almost a foolproof case. If Jesus were to let her go, He would be accused of going against the Seventh Commandment, but if He were to let her be stoned to death, He would be maligned for having exercised justice without mercy.
 
He seemed to have been cornered! He ignored them by doodling on the ground, giving them a chance to retreat. Jesus finally stood up and told them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” After this, He went back to His doodling, giving them another opportunity to retreat. If they had persisted, Jesus would surely have exposed them publicly for their lustful liaisons and secret affairs. They were not clean! If the woman was guilty, so were they. If she had to be stoned, so must they. They knew this well, and were convicted by their conscience. One by one, they slunk away. We see here the Lord’s “transcendent wisdom [as] the Judge of judges. See how at a word from the lips of the Master-Lawyer the trap that the Jews had sprung on Him boomeranged. The accusers became the accused. They became the more guilty, being pricked by their awakened conscience. The executioners became the executed” (Timothy Tow).
 
Jesus came to save not condemn (John 3:17). He dealt with the woman gently and mercifully. As much as He could see the hearts of her accusers, He could see hers as well. She must have been remorseful for the sin she had committed, and so did not receive the condemnation she so deserved. There is really nothing to stop us from concluding that she had placed her trust in Jesus her Saviour. The Lord then let her go, but not without a warning, “sin no more.” If you are in the same plight as this woman, you know you can go to Jesus. He will forgive and save you if you confess and repent of your sins.
 
THOUGHT: To judge righteously, we need to judge ourselves first.

PRAYER: (Confess your sins to the Saviour.)

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