Come & See: Life Lessons From Women In the New Testament Exemplo

Come & See: The Adulterous Woman Pardoned

We have all felt the sting of shame when our sin has been discovered by others, and when we have caused pain by our own actions. You want to hide and not be seen until things have settled and memories begin to fade. The last place you want to be is in the public eye to avoid the possibility of your secrets being discovered.

Jesus is teaching in the temple when a woman caught in adultery is brought before Him by some Pharisees and teachers of the law. She is forced to stand before the group, and her crime is publicly announced. Oh, the humiliation and rejection she must feel! She is probably holding back tears as her head hangs down in shame in front of the Teacher. They ask Jesus His thoughts on her punishment.

She does not hear what she expects, but instead there is silence. Then, more questioning by the men who pulled her here to Jesus. They are ready to stone her, kill her, punish her for this very deed. She is waiting for the first hit…then she hears a voice. Jesus is speaking to the them and not to her. Strange…as it appears all eyes turned from her to the men. She feels a shift in the air. Jesus leans down to write on the ground, and slowly the group begins to dissolve.

Except Jesus stays. Despite the accusation, the ridicule, the embarrassment, He never leaves her. She is not alone. Jesus now asks her a question for the first time since her arrival, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Her accusers are gone! How did things shift so quickly? She was about to die…and now she hears the sweet words of Jesus to her, “…neither do I condemn you.” Freedom!

Yes, the Pharisees knew the law, but they could not see the fulfillment of the law standing right in front of them! The law of sin and death was abolished through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which gives anyone a chance to live a life of freedom. If you are living in condemnation for something you have committed, acknowledge your sin and receive the forgiveness that Jesus offers you. You will be set free.

~Betsy