Jesus Forgives a Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus Forgives a Woman Caught in Adultery

 

“The Accuser” is one of the names for the devil.  He is also called “Satan”, “the great dragon” and “the ancient serpent”.  But the devil is called “the Accuser” because he never shuts up.  He is there constantly putting us down and trying to make us fall. He reminds us of every mistake we make.  He may be responsible for the voices in our head telling us that we aren’t good enough.  Or that we have failed again. Or he may urge our friends and family to keep criticizing us and wearing us down.  Day after day and month after month, never stopping. 

 

Scripture says that Satan’s aim is “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10) Steal your joy and keep you depressed.  Destroy your peace by bringing you panic attacks and paralyzing fear in the night.  Tempt you to turn from your faith in Christ.

 

But not all guilt is bad.  Satan’s guilt enslaves us, but God sometimes gives us a guilty conscience when we have sinned in order to help us repent and change.  Or when we see others being treated badly, we are given God’s love and concern and we work to see justice done.  (2 Corinthians 7:11)   God gives us a conscience so we can turn from sin.  God is in the business of building us up.  It isn’t His will that any should perish.  (2 Peter 3:9) 

 

 When Christ comes again at the end of the age, Satan, the Accuser, will finally be stopped and put down.  Scripture says: “For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth – the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.” (Revelations 12:9-10)

 

Just as Satan is our “Accuser”, Jesus is our “Advocate”.   Scripture says: “When anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”  (1 John 2:1b) The Bible also says: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies you.  Who is he who condemns?  Since it is Christ who has died, and furthermore is also risen, and who is ever at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.” (Romans 8:33-34) (Hebrews 10:21-22) (Romans 8:24)

 

So, who do we trust, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, or our Accuser, Satan?  Scripture tells us that when we believe that Christ died to take away our sins, He not only cleans us up, but He covers us with His righteousness. Scripture says: “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:30) When God looks at you, He sees Jesus first. When the Accuser comes calling and shooting his arrows of guilt, fear and doubt at us, we are told to stand behind our shield of faith and hold it up high to stop these ruthless attacks.  We can stand on the promises in the Bible that remind us that Jesus Christ has us covered. And we can also watch and pray.  Christ’s protection is real and powerful. 

 

Scripture commands us to “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  …above all taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  (Ephesians 6:10-12, 16)

 

The Bible tells a story of Jesus being an Advocate or standing up for a woman who was caught having sex with a married man. (John 8: 2-10) Evidently the church leaders walked in and caught the woman and the married man in bed together.  Scripture doesn’t say anything about the church leaders trying to punish the married man. They seemed to blame the whole affair on the woman! Obviously, it must have been all her fault for tempting him!

 

It was early morning and Jesus was outside the Temple teaching God’s Word with a group gathering around Him. As He was teaching, the Pharisees and religious leaders came rushing in shoving the woman in front of the crowd.  “Teacher” they asked Jesus, “This woman was caught in the very act of adultery.  The law of Moses says to stone her.  What do you say?”  (John 8:2-5) The religious leaders were hoping to trap Jesus into saying something they could use against Him.

 

Several of the religious leaders began picking up stones and pacing around, anxious to begin stoning this woman. And the woman stood there trembling with her head down and tears running down her face.  Soon the crowd got very quiet, waiting to see what Jesus would do. 

 

Scripture says that Jesus “stooped down and wrote in the dust” (John 8:6) We don’t know what He was writing there in the dirt, but some think perhaps He was writing down sins that the religious leaders had committed.  After a while Jesus stood up and placed himself between the woman and the angry religious leaders. Finally, Jesus spoke.  He said: “Let those who are without sin throw the first stone.” Then he stooped down again and kept writing in the dust. (John 8:7-8)

 

Silence fell over the group.  And one by one the religious leaders, being convicted in their conscience, dropped their stones and walked out of the Temple.  The older men left first and then the younger ones.  Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left. Where are your accusers?  Has no one condemned you?  Jesus asked the woman.  (verse 10) “No one, Lord.” The woman answered.  “Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.”  Jesus told her. 

 

Jesus was this guilty woman’s Advocate.  He stood up for her and told her not to commit adultery any more. And Jesus is your Advocate too.  As your Advocate, He defends you and says on your behalf, “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 8:1) 

 

Many of the truths written here in this blog were taken from Chapter 2 of Max Lucado’s book, “Grace, More than we Deserve, Greater than we Imagine”.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

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