THOSE WOMEN! LESSON 3: THAT OTHER WOMAN

John 7: 37-53

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”  Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him.  Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”  They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee

They went each to his own house,

This final verse of John 7 should  really continued
at the beginning of John 8. Remember, the divisions in the Bible books were added as a convenience. They didn't originally exist. So after a day of preaching and confrontation, the people all went home.

When it says, "on the last day of the feast", what feast?

Jesus and his disciples had went to Jerusalem for the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles. This is also called Sukkoth. In 2017, Sukkoth was held from Sundown on October 4 through Sundown on October 11.  In 2018, Sukkoth will begin on September 23 and end on September 30.

You can find this Festival listed in Leviticus 23 among the days God ordered Jews to keep, along with things like Passover and the Day of Atonement. It was a time to reflect both on Israel's past, when they lived in temporary structures on their escape from Egypt to the promised Land; and also the future when their Messiah would reign in the Millenial Kingdom, as prophesied in the Book of Zechariah.

Zechariah 14:16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.


At this particular time, Jesus' attendance at Sukkoth stired up controversy, fueled by the idea there were those plotting to kill Jesus and his being there roused up the Phrisees and priests.  The Pharisees were frustrated, however, in their wish to have Jesus arrested. Perhaps this is why another attempt to trap Jesus was hatched, which brings us to another woman of the Gospels.

But at the end of the day these people departed for their homes and...

Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.

And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”

This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him. John 8:1-6a (KJV)

Personally, I feel this is not only one of the most famous, but one of the most misquoted and misused passages in Scripture. I’ll deal with why as we go. I also feel this story fits well with what we have been discussing, another anonymous woman who interacts with Jesus.

This story comes at the beginning of John, Chapter 8. If you were to begin at this Chapter the first sentence would stand out because – well, because it stands out alone. “Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.”

 This sentence is transitional, simply stating that at the end of the previous day Jesus and His disciples retired to the Mount of Olives. 

Apparently, while in the Jerusalem area they were sleeping there. If you recall, the reason Judas was paid money was to lead the soldiers to where Jesus “hid” in order to arrest Him. He was subsequently arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, which sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

When our current story takes place Jesus is about seven months away from His crucifixion. He and the Apostles were spending much of the last six months in and around Galilee. They came back to Jerusalem in Judea to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, a Jewish celebration of God’s provision and deliverance, which would have occurred in late September or early October depending on the moon cycle.

At this point Jesus is quite a controversial figure. Even before Jesus came to town people were debating about Him in the streets. 

Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?” Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. John 7: 11-13 (NIV)

John is referring to the conversations among the  common people, the "Average Joes", who have gathered in the city during the Feast when he mentions “the crowds” and “the people”. They are chattering about Jesus, looking for Him because he is notorious now and yet they are being discreet out of fear of the rulers and leading men of the day.

Why?

Because they know these leaders would like to Kill Jesus.

At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? John 7: 25-26 (NIV)

Jesus is a hot potato.  

Into this scene of expectation and confusion of thought Jesus comes and goes to the Temple, as he has been doing. He’s been teaching and stirring the pot. The people flock to see and hear Him. So do the Pharisees and Scribes. They, and sometimes even the Sadducees, have been shadowing Jesus, often coming to ask some question designed to catch Him in some politically incorrect posture, a “gotcha” moment. This is one more such occasion.

They bring before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery and say, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" (John 8:5 NIV)

Remember we have been told they asked this to trap Jesus. 

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. Leviticus 20:10

If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel. Deuteronomy 22:22

That is the Law of Moses to which they refer. It seems fairly clear cut. The Law is the Law, is it not?

Jesus has certainly demonstrated His knowledge of the Law over and over again, and represented Himself as obedient to God. If He were to say, “stone her”, would not that be the proper and legal answer?

Now there are those scholars who believe the trap here is to place Jesus against Rome. If He says, “stone her”, He is advocating violating the Law of Caesar prohibiting the Jews from killing anyone. They cite John 18:31, when Jesus is brought to trial before Pilate, to support this argument:

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."

"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.

This argument presents problems.

If Jesus said, “stone her”, would the Pharisees run to the nearest Roman police station and say, “arrest this man he advocates execution for which we are forbidden”? After all, these same men also advocate execution for adultery. They have to. It is the Law of Moses and they consider themselves to be the shining practitioners of the Law.

Or do they simply stone the woman, perhaps even hand Jesus a rock, and then run to accuse Him of breaking the Law of Caesar, which they themselves have just broken? 

This idea the Jews would not execute anyone doesn’t stand up to Scripture either. How many times were attempts already made to kill Jesus? Oh, right, this would be an execution, those attempts were just murder, all right, then.

  Herod executed John the Baptist and Rome did not come storming down on Herod. However, Herod was kind of tight with the powers that be in Rome, so they probably looked the other way, so maybe that doesn’t count.

But what about Stephen?

“…at this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him [Steven] out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul”. Acts 7:57-58 (NIV)

Saul, who would become Paul, was purging the land of Christians. This was the stoning to death of Stephen for Blasphemy. This occurred within a couple years of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Where was Rome? Did Rome sweep down and arrest Saul and these others for Stephen’s execution?

No, Rome did not because the Jews were allowed to execute those who broke capital crimes under their own Law. When the Jews said, “we have no right to execute anyone” it was in response to Pilate saying, “take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews did not want to judge him by their own law, they wanted Jesus executed as a criminal under Roman law and the charge they brought against Him was treason. Christ was not prophesied to die by stoning, but by crucifixion, which was a punishment used by the Romans for treason.

Why do you think Pilate asked Jesus if He were King of the Jews? This question did not come out of thin air. Jesus asks if it were Pilate’s own idea. Of course it wasn’t, it was part of the charge of treason. Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus does not say, “I’ve done nothing.” He does not say, “They falsely accuse me of Blasphemy,” or “I have not betrayed Rome”. Instead he says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Pilate responds, “You are a king, then!”

“You are right in saying I am a king,” answers Jesus. [Refer to John 18 for the above quotes.]

Have you ever considered why Jesus stood by not answering any of his accusers before this and now He chooses to answer Pilate with self-incriminating words? Think about it.

So, if the trap was not to place Jesus against a Law of Rome, how was it a trap if He simply answered, “That is the law, stone her”?

To understand this we must realize the moment and the setting. Jesus has been preaching for a couple or so years now. He has attracted large followings among the common people. He has come this day to teach in the temple in Jerusalem. People have been looking for Him, waiting to see and hear Him. They have followed Him to the Temple. There are even more people than usual because this is during the Feast of Tabernacles. If the people are not expressing their views openly for fear of the Pharisees, the Pharisees are also fearful of the people. They want to somehow turn the people from Jesus. One way to do this would be to expose Him as a hypocrite.

From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus has stated he did not come into the world to condemn, but to save:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 

Jesus has emphasized repentance and forgiveness. He had accused the Pharisees of upholding the letter of the Law, but not the spirit. He had often called the religious leaders hypocrites. Now they wished to turn the tables. If Jesus said, “stone her” it would seem He betrayed His own teaching in front of the people who were following Him.

However, if He said, “Do not stone her,” He would be accused of going against the Law of Moses; that is, the Law of God and would be accused of being a heretic.

Quite the conundrum, especially since there is no reason to doubt this woman was indeed guilty as charged. It states they “brought Him a woman caught in adultery”. I feel certain if the woman was simply a co-conspirator, perhaps paid to play a role, or falsely accused, Scripture would have told us so. Besides, Jesus’ last statement to her confirms her guilt.

But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?”

She said, “No man, Lord.”

 And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

The Pharisees must have thought, “Man, we got him now. Look at him stalling for time. He doesn’t know what to say.”

So they begin to prod Him to answer. But Jesus just casually leans back from his stooped position and calmly replies, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7b NIV)

No one knows what Jesus was writing on the ground. We all like to guess. Some guess he was writing down the sins of the men who brought her. Some believe one or more of the men were whom she committed the act with and Jesus was naming names. The picture that comes to my mind when it says Jesus “wrote on the ground with His finger” is of God writing with His finger on the tablets given to Moses. So, my guess is He may have been writing the Ten Commandments in the dust.

It says the men were “convicted by their conscience”. I’m not so certain you would say that if Jesus had written down the names of any of them as involved with the woman or even if he began listing their sins. These were men who did know the Law and it could be in seeing the Ten Commandments before them convicted them. That is just speculation; however, so lets deal with things that aren’t guesswork.

They are convicted and they slowly disperse and leave, the eldest first. I don’t know if this means the oldest men or refers to members of the Sanhedrin, who would have been considered Elders in an official sense. The word translated as eldest in the King James and the oldest in the NIV can mean either.

Let’s also try to separate what the Bible says and the images of this scene we may have in our head. We sometimes see depictions of this encounter, especially in films, where as these men walk away they drop the stones they are holding. Nowhere in the scripture does it say these men had stones at the ready. We tend to get this picture of an angry lynch mob, rocks ready, shoving this woman up to Jesus just waiting for Him to give the word to stone her.

It is most likely that what they are doing is itself an illegal procedure since it doesn't appear the accused was taken before the Sanhedrin for a trial or judgment. Objections can be raised as to where is the man. If she was caught in the act it is presumed the offending man was also caught and he also should be stoned under the Law.  This was apparently a  kangaroo court and the woman had been denied a proper hearing or trial, but is this the reason Jesus allowed the woman to go free.

These things are irrelevant. Tried and convicted or hustled directly from the capture does not matter. Even if all the fine points of Law had been followed, these men did not bring the woman before Jesus for truth, for justice and certainly not for mercy. They brought her with only the motive of trapping Him. 

Something besides the guilty man is also missing. Where are the witnesses? The men say she was caught in the act, but where is the testimony of the actual witness or witnesses. You see according to the tradition, the witnesses should be the first to hurl a stone at the condemned. Perhaps being the first to throw a stone would be confessing too much. How did you happen to witness this act?

The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.(Deuteronomy 17:7)

Anyway, the men have dispersed, slunk back to their spider holes to hatch more plots. Jesus rises up from His writing and sees no one but the women. The “no one” is the Pharisees who brought her. The woman and Jesus aren’t alone. Remember, they were in the Temple amidst a crowd of people whom Jesus was teaching. These people didn’t leave. Even all the Pharisees hadn’t left, just those who had brought the woman. Those people remaining are standing around waiting to see what happens next.

He asks her a question, “Woman, where are those accusers of you? Has no one condemned you?” 

What is so important about this question?

Because the law states in Deuteronomy 17:6,

 "On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness."

It is required for sentenceing there be two or more witnesses. The witnesses have fled.

Jesus then says to the woman, “You are forgiven, go in peace.”

Huh? What’s that?

Oh, that isn’t what He said?

Well, you know you are right. I want to deal with that and some other issues this passage raises. I especially want to deal with that most misused Bible quote ever uttered. And we will do that in the next lesson.

NEXT:  HOPE, FAITH AND CHARITY

Illustration: “The Woman Taken in Adultery” by Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt, 1644