What Did Jesus Write On The Ground In John 8

What Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

Long a mystery as to what Jesus scribbled on the ground the day the scribes and Pharisees took an adulterous woman before Him, it is now revealed (John 8:3-11). When I was reading in Jeremiah one day, I was shocked to discover the solution buried deep inside the pages of the Old Testament.

Why Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

To comply with the teachings of Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22-24, the scribes and Pharisees had requested that Jesus condemn the woman to death. If Jesus had told them to stone her, they would have accused Him of hypocrisy, because He was always preaching about mercy and forgiveness. If He had replied that she should not be stoned, they would have accused Him of violating the Mosaic Law. As soon as he saw what they were up to, he bent down and scrawled something on the ground, saying: “If any among you is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.” (See also John 8:7) Later, he began writing on the ground, following which they all walked away from the area where the writing was taking place.

What Was it That Jesus Wrote on the Ground?

All who turn their backs on You, O Lord, the hope of Israel, shall be put to shame. Whoever turns away from You will have their names engraved in the dust because they have abandoned the Lord, the source of all living water. (Jeremiah 17:13; Isaiah 59:13) As an aside, this passage appears to indicate that Jesus first wrote their names in the dust, and then perhaps next to their names, he wrote a sin that they had committed in addition to their names. They were humiliated and frustrated as they walked away from Jesus’ presence.

(See 1 Chronicles 28:9, Matthew 12:25, Matthew 22:18, John 2:25, and 1 Corinthians 14:25 for examples.) It has been suggested by the Venerable Bede (as well as St.

Jesus is the Author Who Writes and Fulfills the Law

So, the same finger that had written the Law a long time ago was also the finger that was writing on the ground at the time of this writing. As a result, because He was the originator of the Law, He was also the one who was responsible for properly interpreting and executing it (Exodus 31:18;Deuteronomy 9:10). Furthermore, as the One who was about to take upon Himself the punishment for the crimes of the adulterous woman, He had every right to show love and mercy to her as well. It’s worth noting that in Luke 11:20, Jesus alluded to the “finger of God” when He drove a demon out of a man who couldn’t talk.

The people had accused Him of casting the demon out with the might of Beelzebub, the lord of devils, according to their assumptions.

According to some who were able to discern it, Jesus’ use of the phrase “finger of God” signified that He was the same God who wrote the Law on the stone tablets and, as a result, was the Supreme Being of the universe. Photograph courtesy of Sparrowstock

Jesus Is the Only One Who Can Judge Hearts

It is important to note that, because God created man “out of the dust” (Genesis 2:7) and because He had come to “write the law on people’s hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33; Psalm 37:31; Romans 2:14-15; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Hebrews 8:10; 10:16), it is likely that when He wrote on the ground that day in the presence of the scribes and Pharisees, He had in a sense written As he sits there, he sends a warning to people who refuse to be compassionate that they will not be merciful in return (James 2:12-13), and the words, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

Having done so, we may come full circle to see one final warning to the Pharisees: Do not judge, or else you will be condemned yourself.
You are a letter from Christ to the world.
2 Corinthians 3:3 (New International Version) Getty Images/ginosphotos provided the image.
David Kyle Foster is the host of thePure Passion Podcast as well as the author of the books Transformed Into His Image and Love Hunger.
More on his perspective on sin and brokenness may be found in his most recent work, The Sexual Healing Reference Edition.

What Did Jesus REALLY Write in the Sand?

When Jesus faced the adulterous woman in John 8, what was it that he actually wrote in the sand that he saw? Innumerable hypotheses have been advanced by preachers over the years. That is a question to which I believe I have a rather definitive answer. Here are a few mediocre examples. Was Jesus doodling in order to buy some extra time as He gathered His thoughts? Please give me a break. He claimed to be the Son of God. His thoughts had obviously been gathered by this point. Was He writing in the ancient language of “sandskrit”?

This is quite improbable.
Because they were so taken aback by His miraculous wisdom, they dropped their ammo, startled and deafeningly silent.
There have been several “preachers” who have told me about how Jesus inscribed the crimes of each religious leader in the sand, and that the schemers were so convicted that they dropped their rocks and fled the scene.
However, according to verse three, the scribes and Pharisees coerced the adulteress into standing before the assembly of disciples.
“Teacher, this lady was caught in the act of adultery,” they informed Jesus as they brought her before the gathering.
“How about that, what do you think?” This question was being used as a trap by them in order to provide them with a reason for blaming him.
After continuing to interrogate him, Jesus stood up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stoneather.” (8)He knelt on the ground and scribbled something down.

Jesus sprang up and questioned her, “Woman, where have they disappeared to?” “Doesn’t anyone think you’re guilty?” 11 “There isn’t nobody, sir,” she responded.

“Get out of here, and get out of your sinful existence.” NIV The key to understanding the “finger-writing” verse is found in Jeremiah 17:13.

There was a specific procedure that would be performed in order to bring judgment if enough witnesses could be gathered to establish that adultery had truly been committed.

In this case, the Oral Law of God had been violated.

By doing so, Jesus demonstrated to his accusers that THEY were not abiding by the law, but that He would do so anyway.

The Scribes and Pharisees simply claim that she was apprehended in the act.

So Jesus rose to his feet (after clearly proving that they were breaking the law themselves) and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him first hurl a stone at her” (John 8:7, emphasis added).

To fully appreciate the critical verse that provides the solution to this age-old issue, we must first understand a little bit about Hebrew history.

(I’m willing to bet he ended up with a little pruny.) Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, ended with a feast at his house, and there would be tremendous gladness that God had accepted the sacrifice and that everyone’s sins had been pushed ahead another year until the arrival of Christ.

“Just as themikveh (purifying bath) cleansed me on this day, may the Holy One (Messiah), blessed be his name, cleanse all of Israel when He comes” (Jeremiah 17:13).

He would have heard it 39 times by the time he was 50!

To summarize the stanza, it reads as follows: The people of Israel will be ashamed if they turn their backs on the LORD their God, the fountain of living waters.

It reads as follows in its exact Hebrew translation: “Oh YHVH, the Immerser (BAPTIZER) of Israel, all those who depart from your ways shall be put to shame (publicly embarrassed), and those who turn aside from my ways will have their names written in the dust blotted out, for they have turned away from YHVH, the spring of life.” In other words, Jesus gave them a second chance, and they could have been embarrassed and then repented in front of the LORD.

Instead, they refused to repent, rejecting the Messiah, and as a result, their names were written in the dust as a punishment.

The most intriguing aspect, in my opinion, is verse 9 of John 8: “And those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, walked out one by one, beginning with the eldest and continuing until the last: and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing in the center.” In their consciences, they heard the voice of God, and the Spirit of God brought to their minds all the times they had heard the High Priest mention the scripture – but instead of receiving the conviction and repenting, they turned away from Him (exactly as it was predicted!) As they walked away, they went in order from the oldest to the youngest, with the older having heard the verse stated more frequently.

The events described in John 7:37-39 took place just before this tragedy.

(As a last aside, Jesus then returns to his teaching to the multitudes in the Temple, declaring, “I am the light of the world.”) That same morning, the four great lights of the court in the Temple were being extinguished after having been kept burning during the full week of the Feast of Tabernacles.

What drove this woman to commit adultery in the first place?
What was her daily routine like?
In order for their sons to carry on the family name and provide for them in their old age, fathers always desired that they do so.
Women did not have any civil rights at the time.
They might even accompany the males to church on Sundays.
It’s possible that this young lady had been beaten by her father.
“I wish I had more boys,” he may have stated at one point.

What must have been going through her mind?

… What might have pushed her to the point where she would put her life in danger in order to be with a guy in an unlawful relationship?

Did she feel like she was trapped?

Do you think she was sad — did she genuinely want to be discovered in order to put an end to her terrible existence?

… Do you feel fear, judgment, or shame?

Possibly he told her that she was attractive.

This, however, does not absolve her of her guilt.

Jesus was well aware of this.

She was probably just half-dressed, embarrassed, and afraid at the time.

There are references to adultery in the Ten Commandments, all four Gospels, and ten additional books of the Bible.

Jesus understood that those who were trapped in even the most heinous sins did not have no hope.

In this section, we’ll look at the second group of injured persons.

The Scribes functioned similarly to attorneys in that they authored, taught, and interpreted the law.

They were not as wealthy as the Sadducees, but they spent every waking second attempting to adhere to the 643 commandments and a long list of what the New Testament refers to as “traditions” of men that they had learned.

What Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

We were setting up a trap with this query in order to have something to accuse you of. However, Jesus knelt on the ground and began writing with His finger on the dirt. He stood up as they continued to interrogate Him and replied to them, “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to hurl a stone at her.” He knelt on the ground and scribbled on the surface once more. —John 8:6–8 (KJV) What was it that Jesus was writing? It’s entertaining to draw messages in the sand, and it may be therapeutic as well.

What was it that Jesus was writing?
Because a crowd had gathered, the Pharisees “reminded” Jesus that, according to Moses’ rule, she should have been stoned, but they were interested in hearing what He had to say about it.
Now, we shouldn’t overlook what Jesus stated in between his stooping — which is very important to the tale — but what exactly was He writing was something else entirely.
This idea is mostly based on Jeremiah 17:13, which states: Because they have abandoned the Lord, the spring of life rivers, those who flee from Me will have their names recorded in the dirt.
As a result, it’s possible that He was fulfilling a prophecy.
What Jesus was writing is unknown to us, as is the identity of those who were exposed to His message.
And whether He or the wind was responsible for wiping out that message, her crimes were pardoned.
Despite the fact that people may attempt to condemn me, You do not.
There is nothing else I can do to help you find salvation.

Your Turn

Have you ever wondered what Jesus wrote on the ground when he was on the cross? Consider the possibility of being one of those who are wielding a stone, ready to condemn the guilty. So, what exactly did they believe they were doing? Now put yourself in the shoes of the accused lady, who is about to be condemned and sentenced to death by hanging by her ankles.

Can you imagine what it was like to be rescued from an unjust execution and to have your sins completely forgotten? Please leave a remark on our blog if you have one. We would much appreciate hearing from you! Devotionals are posted every day.

What Words or sentences did Jesus Write on the Ground?

In fact, one of the interpretations in the ancient Church tradition that He wrote each of the presenter’s sins is theologically correct, because He demonstrated His divine feature of knowing hearts – v /Acts 1:24/ – (which feature belongs properly only to three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), who knows Father as Father knows Him (Matt 11:27), and the Holy Spirit who “knows the depths of God” (1 Cor.

2:10) – the epis He also forgives her, for by saying, “Neither I condemn you, go and sin no more,” he implies that the previous sin is no longer accounted to her, thus demonstrating another divine feature (again, properly belonging only to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) – the sovereign authority of forgiving sins, which ontologically speaking is nothing else than making a healing touch into one’s soul’s/depth, heart’s for sin is nothing but a scathing wound This power He demonstrated in other situations as well, for which He was seen as a blasphemer since He was thought to be a usurper and appropriator of something that should have been reserved exclusively for God (cf.

Mark 2:7 or Matthew 9:3).

With all of this in mind, it may be concluded that the legend of Jesus writing down each of the presenter’s crimes (most likely, it is inferred, the comparable acts of adultery for which they were ready to execute the woman) corresponds well with the Gospels’ teaching about the divine dignity of Jesus.

Whether this tradition is objectively true or not, that is to say, whether they truly looked at Jesus’ words written on the ground and their consciences were pricked already as a result of them before Jesus said those famous words out loud, is unclear, and John purposefully leaves a riddle for us so that we may be free to venture our own interpretations and read the text more attentively and creatively, thereby gaining a greater spiritual benefit for ourselves.

A proposed remedy is outlined below.

Hardly!

The possibility and likelihood is that He inscribed the sins of a small number of the most passionate and zealous among them, the very instigators and leaders of the throng, and when they read their crimes, they dropped the stones, with the others following their example.

What did Jesus write according to John 8?

This post is also accessible in the following languages: (Hindi) മലയാളം(Malayalam)

John 8

“Then thescribes and Phariseesbrought before Him a lady who had been caught in adultery, and He wrote on the ground.” Then, after they had placed her in the center of the group, they approached Him and said, “Teacher, this lady was caught in the act of adultery.” Now, Moses, according to the law, directed us to stone anybody who did such a thing. “However, what are your thoughts?” They stated this in order to put Him to the test and see if they could find something against Him to accuse Him of.

As a result, as they continued to question Him, He rose to His feet and said to them, “Let him who is without among you hurl the first stone at her.” Then He bent down and began to scribble on the dirt once more.

And Jesus was left alone, with only the lady standing in the middle of the crowd.

And Jesus responded to her by saying, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” “ Once more he bent down and scribbled his thoughts on the dirt” (John 8:3-11)

What did Jesus write on the ground?

When this passage was written, Jews had brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus, pleading with him to pass judgment on her. This scenario was plainly a ruse: if Jesus stated they should stone her, the Jews would immediately report Him to the Romans, who would then prosecute Him for such an act in the courts of law. If Jesus stated that they should not stone her, the Jews would accuse Him of disobeying the law of Moses, and He would be executed. The religious authorities were hypocrites who orchestrated the entire scenario in order to try to capture Jesus in their trap.

That this is one of the only written documents by Jesus is significant.
In the Mishnah, the practice of writing in the sand is mentioned several times (Shabbath12.
of the Talmud, p.
This is most likely since, once He had finished writing on the ground, He invited those who were there to throw the first stone at Him.

The fact that Jesus wrote on the ground of the woman’s accusers’ misdeeds demonstrated His divinity and His ability to discern the hearts of people. In His service,BibleAskTeamThis post is also accessible in the following languages: (Hindi) മലയാളം(Malayalam)

What was Jesus writing in the dirt/sand when the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery?

QuestionAnswer According to John 8:1–11, the narrative of the woman caught in adultery is told. According to a condensed version of the narrative, Jesus was brought before Him by the scribes and Pharisees, who, in their ongoing efforts to trap Jesus into saying anything they might use against him, brought Him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They reminded Him that the Mosaic Law required her to be stoned to death if she did not repent of her sin. “But what do you have to say?” they inquired of Him.

“If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to hurl a stone at her,” He continued once he had straightened up (John 8:7).
The people began to leave one by one (verses 8–9).
Both parties to adultery were supposed to be stoned, according to the law (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22).
They would accuse Jesus of breaking Moses’ Law if he suggested that the lady should not be stoned, and they would be right.
Several theories have been advanced as to what Jesus was writing, including the notion that He was jotting down a list of the crimes done by each of the Jewish leaders who were in attendance.
Both of these hypotheses are plausible, but there is no way to know for certain whether one is correct.
It was impossible for Jesus to be accused of breaking the law since He maintained the lawful penalty for adultery, which was stoning.
Questions about John (return to top of page) When the Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman who had been caught in adultery, what was Jesus writing in the dirt/sand?

What did Jesus write on the ground when a woman was tried for adultery

What did Jesus write on the ground at the trial of the woman who had committed adultery with a married man? Separate things were written by Jesus on the ground. Almost certainly, Jesus wrote: “Either produce the adulterer, or you will be EXECUTED as false witnesses!” (a loose translation of God’s false witness legislation in Deuteronomy19:16-21), and “Two or three eyewitnesses are necessary to put someone to death” (a loose paraphrase of God’s false witness law in Deuteronomy19:16-21) (Deuteronomy17:619:15).

My argument is explained in further detail in the following essay.
Please read John 8:2-11 (NIV) before continuing.
And, once you understand why the conventional response cannot be accurate, you will be more willing to embrace what I consider to be the only viable solution to the problem.
Atdawnhe reappeared in the temple courtyards, where he was greeted by a throng of people who crowded around him to listen to him educate them.
They called her up in front of the gathering and told Jesus, “Teacher, this lady was caught in the act of adultery.” Moses told us to stone such women according to the Law.
However, Jesus knelt on the ground and began writing with his finger on the dirt.
When they heard this, those who heard it began to leave one by one, starting with the older ones, until just Jesus was left, with the lady still standing where she had been.
“Doesn’t anyone think you’re guilty?” “There isn’t nobody, sir,” she responded.

See also: Why Was Jesus Called The Word

“Get out of here, and get out of your sinful existence.” In addition, please keep in mind that when Christ said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” he was not requiring judges to be sinless in order to sentence anyone to death, nor was Christ requiring the Jewish people themselves to be sinless in order to participate in an execution; otherwise, Christ would be invalidating more than 20 of Jehovah’s Old Testament Civil Laws, which prescribed execution for various capital crimes.

] So, what was it that Jesus was writing on the ground throughout the trial, exactly?
There is an issue with the typical argument from the “scholars,” in that it assumes that the Pharisees fled the trial simply because they were embarrassed after reading the list of their numerous faults that Christ had written on the ground.
For starters, it would be rather out of character for the Pharisees to leave the trial just because they were feeling a little remorse over their transgressions, as they did in the last trial.
Instead, the Pharisees always remained on the scene and were enraged with the situation.
Surprise of all, during the trial of the woman who had committed adultery, Christ did not mention any of the faults of the Pharisees aloud whatsoever.
As a result, given that the Pharisees were unmoved by Christ’s constant public vocal rebukes, it would be rather out of character for them to be moved by anything Christ scribbled on the ground, especially given that Christ did not speak a single word of admonition in this instance.
Second, it is quite possible that the Pharisees had descended to such a level of depravity that they were no longer capable of feeling any guilt in the first instance.

Among those who were murderers (Matthew 23:34-35) and adulterers (Matthew 12:39), thieves (Matthew 21:13, Luke 19:46), and those who disobeyed their parents (Matthew 15:4), cursed their parents (Matthew 15:4), did the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:24-32), were unrepentant (Luke 18:10-12), were covet (Matthew 23:5-7) 17.

and they committed a variety of other offenses.
That Christ declared, “For I tell you that until your purity exceeds that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will most surely not enter the kingdom of heaven,” is understandable.
The third point to note is that while Christ accused the Pharisees of different crimes, he had to be careful to avoid the sin of slander in order to maintain his innocent status (as recorded in Leviticus 19:16).
He constantly blamed them as a group, which, as I already stated, just served to enrage them even more.

If the Father told Christ which Pharisee committed which specific offense, it does not automatically make Christ a personaleyewitnessto that sin, because God’s own regulations in Deuteronomy17:619:15 state that you must be an actualeyewitnessto a specific sin in order to offer evidence about that sin in a trial.

Their presence at the trial and continuing pressure on Christ to deliver judgment on the adulteress would not have been tolerated by the defendants.
Because of these three arguments, the Church’s long-held belief that “Christ inscribed the sins of the Pharisees on the ground” cannot possibly be right in its interpretation.
As recorded in Luke 12:13-14, a man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, please instruct my brother to split the inheritance with me.” “Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator between you?” Jesus inquired.
This is exactly what occurred during the trial of the lady who was accused of adultery.
“So, what are your thoughts?” As a result of the Pharisees’ query to Christ, “Now what doYOUsay?” they are effectively appointing Christ to serve as an official judge in the woman’s court case.
the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law).

However, because they did not actually catchthe adulterer while committing adultery, they could not possibly have caught the adulteress while committing adultery either, which means that their claim of catching her while committing adultery is false, and this is strong evidence that the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are actually FALSE WITNESSES—and the punishment for being a false witness in a capital crime such as adultery is death without mercy!

For as it is written: “If a libelous witness comes forward to accuse someone of a crime, the two parties concerned in the disagreement must appear beforethe priests and judges who are now in office.” After conducting a thorough inquiry, if the witness is found to be a liar who has given false testimony against a fellow Israelite, the judges must do to the false witness what the other party had hoped the false witness would do to them.

You must eliminate the wicked from your ranks.

Show no mercy: “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” “Show no mercy: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Deuteronomy 19:16-21, New International Version) The fact that the adulteress was brought to the trial without the adulterer was strong evidence that the Pharisees had never really caught either of them in the act of adultery in the first place, and that, as a result, the Pharisees and Teachers of the Lawwere false witnesses who deserved to be executed by the entire crowd of Christ’s followers who had gathered in the temple that morning to witness the execution of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.

As a result, if Christ had uttered this truth publicly, the vast gathering of Christ’s followers would have surrounded the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, preventing them from escaping.

all the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law that falsely claimed to have caught the woman in the act of adultery).

So, in order to avoid being forced into ordering the death of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, Christ merely scrawled on the ground how the application of God’s false witness law would put the lives of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law in risk if the trial went through as planned.

Just keep in mind that only the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law who were standing up could see what Christ had truly written, whereas Christ’s followers (who were most likely seated on the ground) would not be in the proper position to read what Christ had written.) Consider Christ standing up and saying, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” possibly even referring to what he had just written.

They read something like, “Produce the adulterer, or you will be executed as false witnesses!” as the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law get closer to Christ in order to see what he has written on the ground.

As a result, before the trial began, Christ wrote something on the ground to serve as a reminder to the Pharisees about what God’s laws required of witnesses, giving them the opportunity to withdraw their charges before the trial began.

Alternatively, if Christ had not written on the ground, “Produce the adulterer, or you will be executed as false witnesses!” and instead chose to explain out loud to his followers why the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were indeed false witnesses, Christ (the duly appointed judge) would have been forced to insist that the false witnesses not be allowed to leave, and that they must now remain for their own execution.

In the meantime, Christ knelt on the ground and scrawled something else on the dirt.

In his writing, he probably paraphrased Deuteronomy 17:6 and said something along the lines of, “Two or three eyewitnesses are required to execute someone!” In addition, because all of the false witnesses had fled the courtroom for fear of their lives, Jesus was able to address the woman with the words “Woman, where are they?” “Doesn’t anyone think you’re guilty?” “There isn’t nobody, sir,” she responded.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus stated emphatically.
And it is for this reason that they withdrew from the trial.
Furthermore, he acted in accordance with the spirit of the Law by seeking (and ultimately discovering) a reason to extend mercy to the woman as well!
During the trial, Jesus did not abolish or change any of the Mosaic Laws of justice, as some have claimed.
It is only because we are ignorant of the specifics of the Old Testament Laws that we can draw the incorrect conclusion that Jesus changed the law in this passage.

Rather than demonstrating how poorly the Teachers of the Law comprehended the practical applications of God’s laws in the first place, their failure to anticipate the legal paradox of this story and predict the unavoidable outcome of the trial illustrates how poorly they understood God’s laws themselves.

However, it appears that the Teachers of the Law were simply teaching their pupils how to recite the law, and not how to practice the law in a courtroom in the manner that God intended!

Simple.

on evangelism and other important issues).

(This will only occur during Christ’s coming millennium rule, as prophesied in Ezekiel 44:24.) As a result, both groups are unable to comprehend how the practical application of God’s Old Testament Civil Laws would have been extremely beneficial for the courts of ancient Israel as well as modern America, and how even a basic understanding of how God’s laws function in a courtroom to eliminate false witnesses would have been extremely beneficial for the trial of the woman taken in adultery in John 8.

What did Jesus write on the ground?

8Jesus ascended to the top of the Mount of Olives. 2And early in the morning he returned to the temple, and the entire congregation gathered around him, and he sat down and taught them. 3And the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been taken in adultery; and when they had placed her in the midst of the crowd,4they said to him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery while she was in the act of adultery.” (5)Now the law of Moses commands that such be stoned, but what sayeth thou, O thou of little faith?

But Jesus leaned down and scribbled on the ground with his finger, as if he hadn’t heard them at all.
9And those who heard it, having been convinced by their own conscience, walked out one by one, beginning with the oldest and progressing to the youngest: and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing in the center.
11She said, “No, Lord,” referring to a man.
When I was little, I used to go to Sunday school and listen to the great stories about Jesus.
In addition to the Virgin Mary and the stories of Mary Magdalene pouring oil on Jesus’ feet and the Samaritan woman at the well, there were the stories of the girl with an issue of blood and the woman caught in adultery as well.
It was the writing on the ground that Jesus made with his finger that always perplexed me about this narrative.
Why would he do such a thing?
I believe Jesus heard the answer to the Pharisee’s deceptive inquiry from a source greater than himself: that it is appropriate to acknowledge that we have all sinned before passing judgment on others.

It’s safe to say that the position of women in these ancient books has been on my thoughts a lot recently. They are really beautiful and emotional stories that have a great deal to say to us. With love, Susie, and a little help from her husband.

What Did Jesus Write in the Sand? And How Does the Woman Caught in Adultery Relate to the Prodigal Son?

“A woman who had been caught in adultery was brought in by the professors of the law and the Pharisees. ‘Teacher, this lady was caught in the act of adultery,’ they informed Jesus as they brought her before the congregation. According to the Law of Moses, such women were to be stoned. ‘So, what are your thoughts?’ In order to have anything on which to base an accusation against him, they were using this question as a trap. “But Jesus knelt down and began writing on the ground with his finger,” says the author.

While the Pharisees’ exercise was intended to demonstrate her guilt or innocence, the ultimate goal was to place Jesus in a no-win scenario.
However, Jesus did neither.
The authorities’ actions would have been perceived as rebellious and wicked, notwithstanding the fact that they were misusing Jewish law.
Jesus was constant in his charity while still following the letter of the law.
The names of those accused would have been recorded in dust or sand on the temple floor or in some other temporary manner, thus it is logical to assume that when Jesus initially stooped, He inscribed the name of the accused lady in dust.
In this instance, “those who listened began to depart one at a moment, the older ones first, until there was only Jesus and the lady remaining standing there” (John 8:9).
Despite His sinlessness, the sinless Christ was well-versed in Scripture and loved His Father’s message: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and retain it!” (See Luke 11:28.) Dr.

They “washed their hands till they bled,” according to Dr.

Jesus recognized the Pharisees’ resentment at sinners who were received with mercy without having to earn it; nonetheless, they were still committing sins.

“You will never be able to comprehend the whole extent of God’s grace,” Dr.

They “refused to repent” and “rejected the Messiah,” she claims, and as a result, “their names were written in the dust” as guilty of sin.

Unfortunately, the Pharisees and Scribes turned down His offer to experience a loving God through repentance and forgiveness in order to follow His example.

As a result, the accusers “departed,” claiming that they “heard the voice of God speaking to them in their conscience.” (v.9) When it comes to compassion on the part of Jesus, The Parable of the Prodigal Sonmay be the only text that can compete with the story of Jesus and the adulteress.

Humiliation Covered: The Prodigal Son and the Adulterous Woman

“A woman who had been caught in adultery was brought in by the professors of the law and the Pharisees.” ‘Teacher, this lady was caught in the act of adultery,’ they informed Jesus as they brought her before the gathering.’ According to the Law of Moses, such women were to be stoned to death. “So, what are your thoughts?” says the speaker. In order to have something on which to base an accusation against him, they set up a trap with this question. But Jesus knelt on the ground and began writing with his finger on the dirt.” The Bible says in John 8:3-6 that It is not reasonable to suppose that, if the adulteress had been found guilty, she would have been put to death based on the Bible’s “scarce evidence for prosecution of adultery,” according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

In their belief that Jesus would either be compelled to stone the woman or defy their authority and, hence, the rule of God, the religious leaders constructed a trap for him to fall into.
Even if the rulers were attempting to misrepresent Jewish law, defying them would have seemed rebellious and wicked to the public eye.
Jesus stayed constant in his kindness while still following the law in all things.
Because a priest would have recorded the names of those accused in dust or sand on the temple floor or in some other temporary manner, it is plausible to assume that when Jesus initially stooped, He wrote the name of the accused lady in the dust as a temporary technique.
In this instance, “those who listened began to depart one at a moment, the older ones first, until there was just Jesus and the lady remaining standing there” (John 8:9).
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” says the sinless Christ, who was well-versed in Scripture and treasured His Father’s word.

Julie Barrier, in an essay for Crosswalk.com, encourages current readers to extend charity to religious officials from Jesus’ day, who she describes as “wounded individuals” who “spent every waking second trying to live up to the 643 commandments and a massive number of customs.” According to her, they were “frightened” of not measuring up to a “demanding God – an angry taskmaster.” Doctor Barrier claims that they “washed their hands till they bled” out of fear that they would be regarded as filthy.

However, Jesus saw the Pharisees’ resentment at sinners who were received with grace rather than having to earn it; despite this, they were still committing sin.

As Dr.

She believes that Jesus offered them a second opportunity, and that they might have been “just ashamed and repented before the LORD.” Both the law-keepers and the lawbreakers were beloved by Jesus, and both were loved equally.

As a result, the accusers “departed,” claiming that they “heard the voice of God in their consciences.” (v.9) When it comes to compassion on the part of Jesus, The Parable of the Prodigal Sonmay be the only narrative that can compete with the story of Jesus and the adulteress in Matthew 18.

Confession and the Gift of God’s Grace

While confession is required for sinners to earn forgiveness, Jesus emphasized a distinction between the gift of grace and the honor that the Pharisees felt they were entitled to receive. It’s possible that this was done to underline the importance of the gift by not allowing either the adulteress or the Prodigal Son to confess. Perhaps Jesus was bringing to light another minor element of Jewish law that the religious leaders were already aware of: self-incrimination was considered unacceptably revealing testimony.

Furthermore, according to the Encyclopedia Judaica, “a wrongdoer is unfit as a witness since he or she is believed to be unfair and untruthful.” Doctor Barrier’s paper also addressed the dire position in which the adulteress found herself, and the Encyclopedia Judaica said that “Melancholy and depressed individuals must be stopped from admitting to crimes which they have not committed in order to be put to death.” She may have wished for the end of her existence.

The way to freedom in a court of Jewish law was different from the path to freedom in a Christian court, because “the one who confesses and renouncefinds compassion” in a court of Jewish law (Proverbs 28:13).
In the midst of reversing His decision to write in the sand once again, Jesus stood to inquire of the lady if she had been condemned.
In response, He stated, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:10-11).
All people are sinners, including this woman, yet His love would transform her life in ways that no law could ever do.
I have done wrong.” “I am no longer deserving of the title of your son.” (See Luke 15:21.) When his father heard this confession, he quickly embraced him and drowned out his son’s comments with loud, joyous demands to begin preparing a feast.
The father listened attentively to the boy’s confession while remaining kind and enthusiastic.
However, while his elder brother felt he had earned these kind of awards, they were really reserved for his father to distribute.

Pride in the Older Son and the Accusing Pharisees

After being offered the option to repent of their misdeeds, both the elder son in Luke 15 and the accusers in John 8 declined to do so. In John 8, Jesus bowed his head for the second time and waited. No one chastised the adulteress, but they also did not demonstrate any knowledge of their own sinful actions. In order to “provide the Pharisees with the chance to repent,” as Dr. Graig Keener put it, Jesus left the tale open-ended so that they would have “the opportunity to repent.” Dr. Keener observed that in Luke 15, the older son disgraced his father by “failing to greet” him as “father” or “sir,” as Dr.

Although the elder son was angry and believed he was entitled to the honor bestowed on his younger brother, the older son shown a complete lack of humility and merely wanted justice, completely unaware that he would be subjected to the same retribution if he continued to offend.

So, why didn’t the Older Son and the Pharisees take use of the same kindness mentioned above — the rule against confession – instead? Their fault was that they chose to point the finger at someone else rather than going inside and repenting of their own pride.

Humility and Repentance in the Prodigal Son and the Adulterous Woman

The Prodigal Son and the adulteress represent two groups of people who are disenfranchised in Jewish society: women and non-Jews. They were despised, exploited, and despised regardless of whether they were wealthy and powerful or impoverished and forgotten. In their humility, many women and Gentiles came to Jesus, showing that they were aware of profound needs under the surface of their negative identifications. These men and women were guided to the appropriate person by their faith. The Prodigal Son returned home with his head down low.

There was no evidence that religious commitment could cure disease, dress the naked, bring people back from the dead, mend relationships, or liberate anybody from the burden of sin.

Moreover, He is just as victorious in grace now as He was 2,000 years ago.

When she is not working or participating in missionary activities, she may be found here digging into God’s word.

You may keep up with Candice’s scriptural studies by visiting her blog, Wordwell (canada).

What Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

Why Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

What Was it That Jesus Wrote on the Ground?

Jesus is the Author Who Writes and Fulfills the Law

Jesus Is the Only One Who Can Judge Hearts

What Did Jesus REALLY Write in the Sand?

What Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

Your Turn

What Words or sentences did Jesus Write on the Ground?

What did Jesus write according to John 8?

John 8

What did Jesus write on the ground?

What was Jesus writing in the dirt/sand when the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery?

What did Jesus write on the ground when a woman was tried for adultery

What did Jesus write on the ground?

What Did Jesus Write in the Sand? And How Does the Woman Caught in Adultery Relate to the Prodigal Son?

Humiliation Covered: The Prodigal Son and the Adulterous Woman

Confession and the Gift of God’s Grace

Pride in the Older Son and the Accusing Pharisees

Humility and Repentance in the Prodigal Son and the Adulterous Woman

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