Quote for the Day

“…neither do I condemn you.”

Today's Prayer

Father, this week we thank you for your Son, Jesus, and for his completed salvation in our lives. We pray that your living streams of water continue to flow in our lives. We thank you for your great salvation bestowed on us.

John 8:1-11

John 8:1-11 (NIV)1 But Jesus went to the . 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 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. Now what do you say?” 6 They 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. 7 When 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.” 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,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Message

This passage is familiar to many of us. The day before this encounter the Pharisees had a very difficult time with the behavior of Jesus at the Feast. As we discussed in a previous week, he was a latecomer; late according to the people, but according to the Father he was right on time. Then he spoke to the crowd in such a way that the local leaders were losing their grip on their flock.A new day has dawned, and now the Pharisees have a perfect opportunity to have the truth of Jesus be exposed. A situation arose that would clearly show whether or not Jesus understood the Law of Moses and whether he was able to accurately judge what should be done to the transgressor. A woman had been caught in the act of adultery, and they were ready to enforce the Law and stone her to death. With Jesus in their midst, a perfect opportunity is provided to see how well he knew the Law. “Jesus, what should we do?” Their question was asked in an almost mocking tone, attempting to get him to stumble in his response. Quietly Jesus begins to write in the sand, and soon all the accusers leave without executing their plan and without a word of condemnation. In the end, Jesus assures the woman he is not there to condemn her and invites her to repent and live her life for him.Today many of us continue to focus on the sin and the punishment for sin in our lives or in the world around us. Christ has resolved that issue FULLY; it is over, and we are no longer condemned for what we have done… or will do. Jesus simply wants to have a relationship with us. As he told the crowd the day before, “…streams of living water will flow from within…” Jesus came not to condemn but to save. We need to allow HIS life to be those streams of living water and empower us to a life of his joy. This will only be accomplished by allowing HIM to live in, with, and through us.