Text: John 8:1-11
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” — John 8:11
In his book The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller wrote:
“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”
If ever there was a woman who needed to be fully known and truly loved, we see a picture of her in John 8. Not only did vindictive accusers publicly humiliate her for her sexual sin, but these haughty religious leaders also used her as a disposable weapon against Jesus. To be clear, she wasn’t guiltless of her own adulterous sin, but for some reason we don’t see any “character development” of her partner-in-affair played out in this story—it’s only the sin of the woman put on full display.
She had been used sexually by an “anonymous” man, dehumanized by the temple elites, and laid half naked and bare before the village in a parade of humiliation and public shaming. The motive was not just to embarrass her, but also to test Jesus. As William Barclay noted, “They were not looking on this woman as a person at all; they were looking on her only as a thing, an instrument whereby they could formulate a charge against Jesus.”
After Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground, quite possibly exposing some of the secret personal sins of this religious mafia, he says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one they leave until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. What he says next is life-giving and dignity-restoring: “Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Jesus is the only person in this narrative who values the humanity of this woman. He’s the only one who envisions for her a future redemption instead of a present condemnation. How can God show love and grace to the sinner without being unjust, without contradicting His own law? Jesus fulfilled the law by living the holy and perfect life we all fall short of, and then he died on the cross to take the wages of our sin upon himself. In this, sin is not merely overlooked or casually swept under a rug of “God understands me,” but, more importantly, it shows that justice—true justice—has been served, our sins have been atoned for, and we can be reconciled with a just and holy God.
Our sin doesn’t have to shame us, isolate us, or imprison us. We can be fully known, truly loved, and beautifully redeemed. We can walk into a new future because Jesus has met all of the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, suffered for our transgressions, and was raised from the grave to prove our justification. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for knowing me when I was unworthy of being known. Thank you for loving me when I have been unlovable. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for offering me a beautiful redemption. Holy Spirit, teach me to live daily from that redemption as a victorious demonstration of your power at work in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion
- Which sins do we tend to categorize as “big” sins (those that are worse than all others)?
- Where did this story take place? Why did the Pharisees bring the woman before Jesus? How was the Law mentioned? (John 8:1-6)
- How did Jesus answer the Pharisees’ question, and what did he tell them to do? What did he tell the woman to do? (vv.6-11)
- How would you describe redemption in this story? Why is it difficult for people to be fully known, and truly loved by others? How can being fully known and truly loved lead to empowered living?
- Is there a sin, a bad habit, or a tendency you need to give to Jesus today? Is there a self-righteous attitude of which you need to repent?
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