John Chapter 8

The Woman Caught in Adultery

This section rightly deals with the Jews conflict over the Law, and Jesus' response. Up to this point, the Pharisees had no opportunity to accuse Jesus of breaking the Law of Moses, because He kept every jot and tittle of it perfectly. This event is their only attempt to get Him to verbally con­tradict that law. Notice when they did this while He was teaching in the Temple.

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

This chapter should start at John 7:53.

Jesus retires for the night to the Mount of Olives, perhaps to lodge in Gethsemane, or else at the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany (located just over the ridge, to the east of the mount).

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.

The Light of the World arises and works when the sun rises; a picture of our Lord's work.

That it was common for the teachers to sit, and the hearers to stand, is evident from other texts. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple." (Mat 26:55)

3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst

Adulrery requires two people - why was only the woman brought? The charge required both to be brought for judgement.

Note here scribes are mentioned - the only time in John's gospel.

The leaders were at lost in how to trap Jesus - they act immediately. They chose to bring up the situation while he was teaching in the Temple (John. 7:53-8:2) to discredit Him publicly, especially over an issue for which the punish­ment was not debatable, the issue of adultery.

4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

Given the crowds at the feast, prostitution flourished.

5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"

This is the legitimate conclusion of the two texts, Lev_20:10 and Deu 22:22, when compared.

The religious leaders wanted Jesus to contradict this law. If they could achieve that, it would render His claim of keeping the law perfectly null and void.

The Greek is more emphatic: "Now Moses said to stone such, but you, what do you say?"

6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

John points out that this was an obvious attempt to entrap Jesus. The Law of Moses was very clear: A man and a woman caught in the act of adultery were to be put to death (Lev. 20:10 And the man that commits adultery with another man's wife, even he that commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death; Deut. 22:22). So, the concern of the scribes and Pharisees was the Mosaic Law.

Note 'finger' is in purview here, not the writing.

Calvin remarks: "Christ intended, by doing nothing, to show how unworthy they were of being heard; just as if any one, while another was speaking to him, were to draw lines on the wall, or to turn his back, or to show by any other sign, that He was not attending to what was said."

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

The Scribes and Pharisees seem to have been determined to have an answer, and to have made it necessary for our Lord to speak at last. But His first silence and significant refusal to attend were a plain proof to all around that He did not wish to interfere with the office of the magistrate, and had not come to be a judge of offenses against the law.

If they got an opinion from Him about this case, they could not say that He gave it willingly, but that it was extorted from Him by much importunity.

This solemn and weighty sentence is a striking example of our Lord's perfect wisdom. He referred His questioners to Scripture. Deu 17:7.

It is not that only a sinless man could execute judgement (no one is sinless), but all who committed adultery needed to be judged and punished.

There needed to be two or three witnesses - these must commenced the executions of the two involved, but must not be guilty of the same sin (Deut. 13:9; 17:2-7) meaning that if the two or three witnesses were innocent of the same sin, they should cast the first stone, just as Moses had commanded.

JC Ryle summary: "Whatever the woman may deserve, are you the people to find fault with her?"—It neither condemned nor justified the adulteress, and yet showed our Lord's reverence for the law of Moses. "I decline to pronounce sentence on this woman, because I am not the judge. You know yourselves what the law is in such cases as well as I do. You have no right to assume that I do not reverence the law as much as yourselves. But since you profess to honor the law of Moses so much, I remind you that this same law requires the witnesses to be the executioners. Now are you the persons who ought to punish this woman, however guilty she may be? Do you yourselves come before Me with clear consciences about the seventh commandment?"

8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

We do not know what he wrote - and we must not guess!

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.

There is strong evidence that such sin was very common among the Jews in our Lord's time. The expression "an adulterous generation" (Mat 12:39; Mat 16:4; and Mar 8:38) is full of meaning. (See also Rom 2:22; Luk 18:11; and James 4:4.)

Note that this was the Pharisees' only attempt to get Jesus to contradict a point of the Mosaic Law, which failed miserably. They never tried this again, but continued to accuse the Messiah of violating the Mishnaic-Pharisaic Law.

10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

I Am the Light of the World

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The second of the great "I Am" statements of Jesus.

Darkness: The world is in darkness, a symbol of sin, and unrighteousness and ignorance Isaiah 9:2; John 3:19.

Light" in the Bible is a symbol of God and His holiness (Acts 9:3; 1 John 1:5). Jesus is "the Light," not merely a light or another light among many lights.

13 So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true."

14 Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

What did Mosaic law require for something to be accepted as true?

Earlier, Jesus himself had acknowledged as much: "If I testify concerning myself, my testimony is not valid" (John 5:31). Old Testament law required multiple witnesses in capital cases and other crimes (Numbers 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15).

This verse: even if it were true that He alone bore witness of Himself, His testimony was true because of His divine and heavenly origin, something they did not understand.

15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

 Jesus made it clear that their witness was not dependable because their judgment was faulty.

16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.

Jesus judgment was true and valid because it was backed by the One who sent Him, God the Father.

17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.

18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me."

He had more than one witness: 1) Himself - the divine; 2) God the Father who sent the son who bore witness at his baptism

19 They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

The real issue was not a lack of witnesses and their testimonies, but the lack of knowledge of the Father.

20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus speaks of his departure

21 So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."

1. He was going to depart to a place people could not follow

2. The people would die in their sin (the sin of rejection of the Messiah) - not the singular.

22 So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?"

They reason that suicide was spoken of, which they could not follow, thus completing their logic (which was fase).

23 He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

3. He represented God, they represented evil

24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."

4. Eternal life only comes from accepting the Messiah the true object of faith.

The Christian dies "in the Lord" because he lives "in the Lord" (Revelation. 14:13); but the unbeliever dies in his sins because he lives in his sins.

Physical death separates the spirit from the body; spiritual death separates the spirit from God.

To die in your sins means to die with the burden of one's own sin and its penalty enforced by a righteous God (Romans 6:23).

25 So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.

They miss the point, again; they are world-focused, not heaven/God focused.

26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."

5. The final judge with be Jesus Christ.

6. The Father's agent was Jesus Christ - Jesus was not autonomous.

27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.

28 So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

7. They would crucify Jesus

29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."

They would realise too late that He really was the Messiah whom the Father had sent and all Jesus did was pleasing to the Father.

30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Since most of the people did not understand His parables, They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father (John 8:27). However, for some, the light did break through: As he was saying these things, many believed in him (John 8:30).

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

Speaking to His disciples

First mention of ABIDE (μένω - to stay in, continue with, be present in)- (c.f chapter 15).

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

While their belief saved them, abiding in His word would make them true disciples. As they came to know the truth, it would set them free. However, as new believers, they were not yet free from Pharisaic teaching, as their response indicates.

33 They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"

This reflects their adherence to the fundamental Pharisaic belief that all Israel will have a share in the age to come. Addressing the wider audience, Jesus said that if the doctrine were true, they would not be enslaved to sin.

34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

Enslavement to sin is evenced by the practice of sin.

They needed to be freed by exercising faith in the Messiah (John 8:35). If they believed, the result would be freedom (v36). 

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

Their (leaders) trap themselves.

They were of the physical seed of Abraham, not his spiritual seed, as demonstrated by their desire to kill Jesus and their failure to recognize that He spoke the words of His Father, while they spoke the words of their father, Satan

38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

Their father was the devil (v44)

You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

What was Abraham's key work? He put his faith in God: And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.

True children of Abraham seek their salvation the same way Abraham did: by grace through faith, apart from works.

Abraham did not assume that by virtue of his birth he automatically had righteousness. They failed to do the works of Abraham, as evident in their desire to kill Him.

Their desire to kill Jesus proved their bondage to sin. If they believed, they would have discovered that Jesus is the true deliverer from sin

41 You are doing the works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father - even God."

They claimed they were not born illegitimately, of sexual immorality and that God was their Father, a valid conclusion based upon Exodus 4:22-23, which teaches that Israel is the national son of God.

It is quite possible that a sinister insinuation is implied by these words, and that what they really meant was this, "We were not born of fornication, but you were! With respect to our parentage there is no reasonable doubt, but it is different with you!" (CS)

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

However, if they were the true sons of God in a spiritual sense, and not merely physical members of Israel, they would have recognized that God the Father loved the Son and that Jesus was that Son who came forth from the Father.

What does He mean I came from God? He means in the incarnation Jesus came forth from God in order to accomplish his task on earth. But the contact between the Sender and the One Sent remains intact; Jesus still truly and fully represents the Father in all he does

43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

A rhetorical question.

Satan had also blinded them so that they could not understand what Jesus was saying.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

This answers the wuestion: Does the Bible teach the universal fatherhood of God?

The Bible does not teach the universal fatherhood of God nor the universal brotherhood of man.

Jesus says to these religious rulers that they were children of the Devil, which means there are some people who are not the children of God! One becomes a child of God only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their father was Satan, who is also the father of murder and lies.

• He is the author of lies, because he told the first lie.
• He is also the author of murder, because he caused death to come upon all humanity.

They are constantly desiring to carry out the wishes or desires, of the devil; so he must be their father. The devil desires to kill and to lie, and so do they.

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Conversly Jesus is characterised by Truth.

46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

The people refused to believe Him, yet, when challenged and given an opportunity to identify one sin He had committed, they could not do so because He kept the Mosaic Law perfectly.

To convict means to charge and then to prove that charge. So if Jesus is sinless, his claims should be accepted.

47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

If they had been of God, they would have heard the words of God. Their deafness showed they were really Satan's children.

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48 The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

The masses accused Jesus of being demonised, indicating that they had begun to accept the Pharisaic explanation and reaffirming Jesus' accusation that they were liars and murderers, because they claimed He was demonised and sought to kill Him.

They knew He was a Jew and not a Samaritan - this is a Hebrew word-play.

In Hebrew, the word for "Samaritan" is Shomroni. The root of this word, Shomron, refers to a specific demon, the demon the father of Ashmedai, who was the prince of demons in Jewish demonology. This implied that Shomron was therefore the same as Sammael, or Satan.

49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

The people (as the leaders did (Matthew 12) said to Jesus, "You are a child of the devil, and you have a demon." Their accusation specifically reflected the Pharisees' explanation.

50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

Jesus only sought the glory of God

51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

This is a parabolic statement; thus people listening to Jesus assumed He meant that if they believed in Him, they would never die physically. Their response demonstrates that they failed to comprehend that He was in fact speaking of spiritual death. This led to a new accusation v52.

52 The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.'

The people were angry at Him because they did not understand He was speaking about spiritual life and death, not physical life and death.

53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?"

By now, they should have known that He proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah.

54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.'

1. He did not seek his own glory, but that of the Father.
2. The Jews claimed God as their own, but did not know Him, yet Jesus came from the Father, and knew Him.
3. Jesus was whom Abraham sort!

55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."

The unbelieving Jews were not Abraham's descendants spiritually (v. 39).

But here when Jesus referred to 'your father Abraham' he meant they were physically related to him.

Abraham by faith was granted a son Isaac, through whom the messianic Seed (Christ) would come. How much of the messianic times God revealed to His friend Abraham is unknown. But it is clear that he knew of the coming salvation and he rejoiced in knowing about it and expecting it.

57 So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"

58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

He did not say, "Before Abraham was, I was," as if He merely taught His own pre-existence.

Their question led jesus to make a clear declaration of divinity, His own deity.

He used the present tense, saying, "Before Abraham was, I am," thus clearly identifying Himself as Jehovah, the I AM of the Old Testament, the One who revealed Himself to Moses as I AM THAT I AM (Exodus. 3:14).

59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

The Jews clearly understood Jesus and sought to kill him.