Woman Caught In Adultery

Who was the woman caught in adultery?

John 8:3-11 Woman Caught In Adultery

John 8:12-20 I Am the Light of the World

JOHN 8:3-4 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And having set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught committing adultery, in the very act.

Anything odd about their accusation against this woman caught in adultery?
If the woman was “caught committing adultery, in the very act” (John 8:4), she wasn't caught alone. Why didn't they also bring the man who was caught committing adultery with the woman?

JOHN 8:5-6 5 “Now, in the law, Moses commanded us that such should be stoned. So what do You say?” 6 And this they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.

What Old Testament law are the scribes and Pharisees referring to in John 8:5?
“If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die - the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the town and lies with her, then you shall bring both of them out to the gate of that town, and you shall stone them with stones to death, the young woman because she did not cry out in the town, and the man because he humbled the wife of his neighbor; so you shall put away the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 22:22-24).

Why did they all of a sudden want Jesus' opinion?
They interrupted His teaching to try to trap Him and brand Him a false teacher in front of those gathered.

What’s the trap?
If Jesus doesn’t approve stoning the woman caught in adultery, He breaks the Jewish law cited above. If He approves the stoning, He breaks the Roman law that prohibits Jews from carrying out capital punishment.

What did Jesus write on the ground?
Speculations abound on this topic, but we simply don't know. He may have written on the ground to convey a message to the men or to make them step closer to see what He was writing, thus drawing their eyes off the woman, who probably was less than fully clothed since she had been dragged away after getting caught “in the very act” (John 8:1) of adultery.

JOHN 8:7-9 7 And when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “The sinless one among you, let him throw the stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 And having heard and being convicted by their conscience, they went away one by one, beginning with the oldest until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Why did Jesus raise “Himself up” (John 8:7)?
So that the entire crowd can hear what He was about to say.

Why did He then stoop down “again” (John 8:8)?
Perhaps to have them focus on what they heard instead of focusing on Him.

Who left first after hearing, “The sinless one among you, let him throw the stone at her first” (John 8:7)?
“The oldest” (John 8:9).

Why?
Probably because they had committed more sins during their longer lives.

JOHN 8:10-11 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 And she said, “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Why doesn't Jesus chastise the woman for her sin?
She probably lived through the most scary and shameful moment of her life. She had been caught in the act of committing adultery and had been dragged away by a band of men who wanted to kill her. She knew her sin and also Jesus’ authority over her.

How do we know that?
If she thought nothing of her sin or Jesus, she would have bolted the moment the last accuser left. Instead, she remained “standing” (John 8:9) and called Jesus “Lord” (John 8:11). Throughout His ministry, Jesus rebuked the Jews and others who thought they weren't sinners, but was merciful to those who admitted their sins and sought forgiveness.

How is that different today?
It isn't.

Did Jesus address the woman' adultery nevertheless?
Yes, He called it “sin” and told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).