Joh 8:7 And as they [The scribes and the Pharisees] continued to ask him, he [Jesus] stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her”.
Joh 8:9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught ‘in the very act’ of committing adultery. The words ‘in the very act’ shows that the man was there also, but the scribes and the Pharisees chose to bring the woman only! The Law of Moses commanded that both man and woman, caught ‘in the very act’ of committing adultery, must be stoned to death (Lev. 20:10; Deu. 22:22). Nonetheless, the scribes and the Pharisees brought only the woman to Jesus and demanded that she should be stoned to death.
Jesus allowed them to stone her but with a qualification criterion: the first person to throw a stone must be without sin. The scribes and the Pharisees did not meet this qualification criterion and they left, leaving Jesus alone with the woman. Only Jesus met the qualification criterion to stone the woman and that’s why He was left alone with her. The sinful scribes and the Pharisees, who desired to stone the woman, did not qualify to do so. The sinless Jesus, who qualified to stone the woman, is gracious, compassionate, and merciful.
Here we find mercy, triumphing over judgment (Jam. 2:13). If Jesus was like the scribes and the Pharisees, most of us will be in hell by now. Yes, it’s true, at times we have done the very thing we hated (Rom 7:15). But we thank God for Jesus. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Jesus will never leave you, nor forsake you. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
JESUS – GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. From Paulos Moloi. Stay blessed.