Words for the Stone Throwers among Us: A Sukkot Blog

Sep 26

The Temple’s Court of Women, during the Feast of Tabernacles, may have been the setting where Jesus was teaching when men, scribes, and Pharisees brought forth a woman. These men were exposing her sin and humiliating her publicly, for all to see.[1]

The shameful, open revelation of her adultery served only as an “opening act.” The real intention was to trap the “headliner,” Jesus, and to deal a blow to His threatening popularity. Unknowingly, these religious leaders brought the adulterous woman to the one place, the One person, who would condemn them, rather than her.

Setting the trap

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), a joyous celebration, had Jerusalem bursting with hundreds of thousands of people. This was the setting for this woman’s humiliating undoing and outing. The Scriptures reveal this encounter happened early in the morning. The woman may have even been in a state of partial dress, having been caught in “the very act.”

The woman was placed before Jesus, in hopes He would incriminate Himself. This “pawn” would then be discarded by the authorities, having served their intended purpose.

“Uphold the Law of Moses and condemn this woman to death,[2] or disregard the Law of Moses, showing yourself to be a violator of God’s commands.” This was the trap in which they believed they would ensnare Jesus.

The pawn in the hands of the King

The holy, righteous Messiah now took center stage. The “pawn” had been put in play.

I can almost “feel” this story, this event, as the spotlight now shone directly on the One the leaders really wanted to accuse, Jesus. They await His response.

Previously

To understand the full extent of what was happening, we need to remember an earlier “incident” in Jerusalem. Jesus had healed a man by the pool of Siloam who had been lame for 38 years. He “made him whole” and then instructed the man to take up his mat and walk. Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath, and when religious leaders confronted Him about this, Jesus’ response further enraged them. His answer indicated that God was His own Father, making Himself equal with God.[3]

Back in Jerusalem

Jesus taught publicly and entered into discussions with religious leaders. He said, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill Me?”[4]

Some in the crowd believed Him to be the Messiah, noting the many signs He had done.

Living waters offered on the last day of the feast

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”[5]

The tensions are high

Against this backdrop we now find this woman, early in the morning being thrust before Jesus. She stood accused and alone, as these men violate the Law, by bringing only her, and not the man who was with her.[6]

“What then do you say?” Scripture tells us they were saying this to test Jesus so they might have grounds for accusing Him.

The Holy One of Israel needs to answer no one

Jesus offered no verbal answer but stooped down and started to write on the ground. [7] How remarkable to see Jesus, bent before sinners, religious hypocrites, and an adulterous woman. He, who “created man from the dust of the earth,”[8] now writes in the dust with His finger!

At Sinai, the finger of God had etched the Commandments on tablets of stone.[9] And now the Son of God confronts their hearts of stone as He writes.

When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

And again, He stooped and wrote on the ground.[10] Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones. Jesus was left alone with the woman in the center of the courtyard.[11]

This woman was now out of the hands of her religious accusers. She stood alone in her sin and shame, facing the Son of God. Those who sought to use her to trap the Son had themselves been exposed by the hand of God and walked away in shame.

We do not know what He wrote, but we do know what He said

Now, the Holy One would finally speak, on His terms, to a shamed creation of God. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.”[12]

How is it that we do not walk away?

At times we fallen creatures just love to call others “Pharisees.”[13] This, wrongly, has become synonymous with religious hypocrisy. Yet the people in this story did not pick up stones. The older men walked away first and then the others. We can only surmise why….

Why did this take place during this feast?

Perhaps this took place at the Great Feast to shine the convicting light of spiritual adultery onto the religious leaders who had strayed so far from their “Husband.”[14] They violated the Law to try to trap the One who followed the Law, so they might have Him put to death. Their sins needed to be exposed just like the adulterous woman, for they had forsaken the fountain of living water, God, and dug their own cisterns, which held no water![15] They also had sinned, like the adulterous woman. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”[16]

Written by Jeff, Life in Messiah staff

What about you?

Do you wish to bring people to God for judgment or for forgiveness?
In what ways have you forsaken the “Fountain of living water”?
Can we introduce you to Israel’s Messiah, that you may drink of the living waters and dwell with God forever? Chat with us at insearchofshalom.com.

Endnotes:

[1] This episode is recorded in John 8:1-11.

[2] At this time in history, only Rome could execute those subjected to its rule.

[3] John 5:18 [NASB, here and throughout, unless otherwise indicated].

[4] John 7:19

[5] John 7:37-38.

[6] Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24.

[7] John 8:6.

[8]Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; John 1:1; Colossians 1:12-20.

[9] Deuteronomy 9:10.

[10] John 8:7-8.

[11] John 8:6-9.