What Was Jesus Writing In The Sand

Bible Q&A: What did Jesus write in the sand?

Our Bible Q & A series delves into the questions you’ve sent us regarding the Bible and how it may help you. This article expresses the author’s own point of view on a subject. It is consistent with the ideals of the Bible Society, but it is not intended to convey our viewpoint as an organization.

Question:

When the lady was caught in adultery, Jesus wrote something in the sand. What was it? The Ten Commandments, or the faults of the Pharisees, were on his mind as he wrote them all down. Is it possible that, by writing in sand rather of stone, he was trying to convey a message that religious elite regulations were temporary, much like the home constructed of sand? Do you have any other suggestions?

Answer:

Revelations 7.53–8.11 tell the narrative of the lady who was caught in adultery. We don’t know what Jesus wrote because we don’t know what he wrote. Here are a few suggestions, however. St Augustine believed that by writing on the ground, Jesus was establishing himself as a lawgiver, repeating what God had done when he wrote the 10 commandments on tablets of stone, according to the tradition. Others believe he was simply sketching, and that it was a form of diversionary activity to take the edge off the tension in the room.

  1. Another theory is that he was emulating Roman law by putting first her offense – adultery – and then her sentence – death – in the same phrase.
  2. As a result, it becomes a symbol of forgiveness: misdeeds are not inscribed in concrete, but rather in dust.
  3. According to St Augustine, it was initially omitted by’men of weak faith’ because they believed it showed Jesus promoting adultery in some way.
  4. Please let us know and we will try our best to respond!
  5. Observe further information Articles on the Bible’s Frequently Asked Questions

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What Did Jesus REALLY Write in the Sand?

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

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Humiliation Covered: The Prodigal Son and the Adulterous Woman

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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. No one is entitled to grace, but in order to truly enjoy the gift, one must first recognize their own need for it.

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?

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 right person by their faith. The Prodigal Son returned home with his head down low.

  • Religious dedication did not cure disease, clothe the naked, bring people back from the dead, mend relationships, or liberate anybody from the weight 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 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 in the Sand?

Brant Pitre contributed to this article. The 17th of April, 2019 Find out more about The Meaning of the Mass Readings. Jesus responds to them by writing in the dirt, according to the transcript. The reaction is strange, but John makes it quite clear that Jesus responds by leaning down and writing with his finger on the ground, as shown in the illustration. And John informs us (something that most people overlook) that Jesus performed the miracle twice. In other words, he’s definitely accentuating the point, and it’s a motion that’s meant to be seen, and it’s designed to capture our attention, but it’s also a little weird at the same time.

  • As you might guess, commentators have gone crazy throughout the years attempting to figure out “What is Jesus up to?”.
  • Some people believe that Jesus wrote the sins of the scribes and Pharisees in the dirt, and that when they saw their crimes written in the sand, they were driven to repentance, and that they then fled in shame.
  • There are many who believe that Jesus was just disregarding the scribes and Pharisees, and that he was “doodling on the ground,” which is a reasonable explanation.
  • First and foremost, some individuals believe it to be a show of disinterest.
  • That’s one of the possibilities.
  • Interestingly enough, I just discovered this when doing research for this explanation; it’s surprising how far back Jerome’s influence can be traced.
  • However, the most prevalent argument, one that has been accepted not only by St.
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Augustine himself, as well as by more contemporary Catholic biblical scholars, is that Jesus is here performing a sign that is a fulfillment of prophecy in order to save the world.

“The guilt of Judah is written with an iron pen,” Jeremiah 17:1 tells us.

If you scroll down to verse 13, you’ll find the primary passage of the book.

Okay, let’s take a brief halt here.

Taking this into consideration, if you fast forward to the New Testament, you’ll find it to be rather engaging.

Water from the spring of eternal life.

According to the prophesy, the Scribes and Pharisees will take the place of immoral leaders of Judah, who were previously prophesied against by the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament.

It’s a type of prophetic sign (which Jesus performs on a regular basis in the gospels), which is the third theory, and it’s the one that I’m leaning toward the most.

Augustine has given to the event.

They are unable to press him (force him) into either letting the woman go or permitting her to be stoned without getting themselves into problems with the Roman authorities, which they would otherwise do.

Which is to say, when I used to teach on this subject, some of my students would argue, “Well, Dr.

So what happens in John 8 is that all of the witnesses leave, and when Jesus looks up from his dirt-writing to say anything to the lady, what does he say is a surprise.

Everyone has departed, and no one has come forward to testify against her.

As a result, it’s just him and her.

In response, Jesus states, “Neither do I condemn you.” “Go, and don’t make the same mistake again.” Obviously, I’m making some educated guesses here, but I think it’s fascinating at the very least that Jesus creates a circumstance in which there aren’t two witnesses to testify against her, which is what would be required by law in order for someone to be executed.

That is, it would be against the Mosaic Law for him to pick up a stone and kill her with only one person, as this would be considered a breach of the law.

To testify, you were required to call two public witnesses.

When it comes to putting Jesus to death, they need at least two witnesses to say that he said he would demolish the temple, and that isn’t going to happen here with the lady.

As a result, Jesus tells her, “Neither do I condemn you,” and then, in his next words (which are crucial), “Go and sin no more.” In his letter, Jesus invites her to repent and alter her life, to turn away from her life of adultery, and to promise her that she would never repeat that sin again.

Lovely, beautiful narrative of divine kindness that also serves as a call to alter one’s life from one’s previous life of sinfulness.

What Does the Bible Say About Jesus Wrote In The Sand?

Brant Pitre contributed to this post. The 17th of April, 2019. The Mass Readings Explained in more detail Jesus reacts to them by writing in the ground, according to the transcript: otice The reaction is strange, but John makes it quite clear that Jesus responds by leaning down and writing with his finger on the earth. This is something that most people overlook: Jesus did it twice, as John explains. In other words, he’s definitely accentuating the point, and it’s a motion that’s meant to be seen, and it’s designed to capture our attention, but it’s also a little odd at the same time.

  1. As you may guess, commentators have gone crazy throughout the years attempting to figure out “What is Jesus doing?” The reason for him writing in the dirt is unclear.
  2. Some people believe that Jesus wrote the sins of the scribes and Pharisees in the sand, and that when they saw their sins written in the sand, they were driven to repentance, and that they then fled in shame from the scene.
  3. Consider the history of interpretation: there are basically three broad interpretations that may be offered.
  4. For the sake of simplicity, let us say that Jesus is just dismissive of the scribes and Pharisees.
  5. In the second instance, it is said that he dirties the accusers’ misdeeds.
  6. Consequently, in his book against Pelagius, Jerome speculates that this may have been the case.
  7. Ambrose, but also by St.
  8. To illustrate this point, if you go back to the book of Jeremiah 17, there is a section in the Old Testament that really talks about writing in the dirt, and it has a couple of startling parallels with the Gospel of John.
  9. It’s the most important verse, if you go down to verse 13.

When read in its original context, what Jeremiah is basically describing is that the names of those who forsake the God of Israel (those who have abandoned him) are going to be written in the dirt as a kind of sign of condemnation, as a sign of judgment against them, because they have forsaken the source of living water (the Lord).

In John 8, Jesus is writing in the mud and saying, “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at him.” And then, in John 7, what does Jesus use to identify himself with?

As a result, when you connect the images of sin being written in the dirt with the image of the fountain of living water being rejected by the leaders of Judah and the leaders of Israel, some scholars have suggested that what Jesus is doing is basically performing a sign of judgment against the leaders in Jerusalem, the scribes and the Pharisees, who have rejected him (the fountain of living water), so that their sin is being written in the dirt as a judgment against them; as a condemnation of their actions.

  1. A puzzle has been given to you.
  2. As a result, when they witness the sign done in light of the prophesy, they are convinced, and it is recorded that everyone of them, starting with the eldest, walks away from Jesus and the lady.
  3. It’s also the interpretation that St.
  4. The fact that Jesus springs the trap on them is what counts to us in any event.
  5. There’s one additional element of this that I’d want to bring to your attention (quickly) as an aside.
  6. Pitre, doesn’t Jesus breach the law by doing that?
  7. The woman is still there when Jesus looks up from his writing in the dirt, and what does he say to her when he looks up from his writing in the dirt?
  8. He and the woman are the only ones still alive.
  9. “Well, no one, Lord,” she responds.

Continue on your way, and don’t make the same mistake twice.” This is all speculation on my part, but I believe it’s fascinating that Jesus arranges a circumstance in which there aren’t two witnesses to testify against her, which is what would be required by law for someone to be put to death if they were found guilty of a crime.

That is, it would be against the Mosaic Law for him to pick up a stone and kill her with only one person, as this would be considered a breach of the Law.

For the testimony of two public witnesses, you were required to have two witnesses testify in front of the court.

As a result, they’re scrambling to get two witnesses to declare that Jesus promised to demolish the temple, since they can’t put him to death until they have at least two individuals prepared to publicly accuse him of a crime, which is precisely what doesn’t happen in this instance with the lady.

Lovely, beautiful narrative of divine kindness that also serves as a call to alter one’s life from one’s previous life of sinful behavior.

John 3:16-17ESV / 7 helpful votes

Written by Brant Pitre 17th of April, 2019 Learn more about The Mass Readings Explained by clicking here. Jesus answers to them by writing in the mud, according to the transcription. Now, that’s an odd reaction, but John makes it crystal plain that Jesus reacts by leaning down and writing with his finger on the ground. And John tells us something that most people overlook: that Jesus did it twice. So he’s definitely stressing it, and it’s a motion that’s meant to be seen, and it’s designed to capture our attention, but it’s also weird at the same time.

  1. As you may guess, over the years, commentators have gone crazy trying to figure out “What is Jesus doing?” The reason for him writing in the dirt is unclear.” This is something that you’ve undoubtedly heard preachers or homilists speculate about as well.
  2. That is a pretty common explanation for what happened.
  3. In looking at the history of interpretation, there are three basic reasons that come to mind.
  4. In other words, he is essentially snubbing the scribes and Pharisees in this passage.
  5. Another is that he scribbles the misdeeds of the accusers on the ground.
  6. As a result, in Jerome’s book against Pelagius, he speculates that this could have been the case.
  7. Ambrose and St.
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So if you go back to the book of Jeremiah 17, there is a section in the Old Testament that really talks about writing in the mud, and it has a couple of startling parallels with the Gospel of John.

That’s the first verse.

All who turn away from thee will be put to shame, declares the Lord, the hope of Israel; all who turn away from thee will be written in the earth, because they have deserted the Lord, the source of living water.

For those who have rejected the God of Israel (those who have abandoned him), Jeremiah is essentially telling how their names will be inscribed in the mud as a type of symbol of condemnation, as a sign of judgment against them since they have forsaken the source of life water (the Lord).

In John 8, Jesus is writing in the mud and says, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” In John 7, what does Jesus refer to himself as?

“Out of his heart shall pour rivers of streaming water,” he claims.

It’s a puzzle, really.

In the light of that prophesy, they are convicted, and it is recorded that everyone of them, starting with the eldest of them, goes away and leaves Jesus and the lady alone.

It’s also the interpretation that St.

In any event, what matters to us is that Jesus sets them up for failure.

There’s one more part of this that I’d want to briefly mention (as a side note) as well.

Pitre, doesn’t Jesus breach the law by doing that?” Isn’t he breaching the law by not stoning her since the law of Deuteronomy 22 states she should be stoned?” Well, what’s fascinating is that in the book of Deuteronomy 17:6 it also states that “no one shall be put to death on the evidence of only one witness,” which means that you must have the testimony of at least two or three witnesses in order to be executed (in Deuteronomy 17:6).

So what happens in John 8 is that all of the witnesses leave, and when Jesus looks up from his dirt-writing to say something to the woman, what does he say?

He and the woman are the only ones who are left.

“No one, Lord,” she responds.

“Get out of here, and don’t do it again.” Obviously, I’m making some educated guesses here, but I think it’s intriguing at the very least that Jesus creates a circumstance in which there aren’t two witnesses to testify against her, which is what would be required by law in order for her to be executed.

To put it another way, it would be a breach of the Mosaic Law for him to just pick up a stone and kill her with only one person there.

You were required to call two public witnesses to testify on your behalf.

As a result, they’re scrambling to get two witnesses to declare that Jesus promised to demolish the temple, since they can’t put him to death until they have at least two individuals prepared to publicly accuse him of a crime, which is precisely what doesn’t happen in this case with the lady.

Lovely, beautiful narrative of divine kindness that also serves as a call to alter one’s life from one’s previous life of sin.

John 8:11ESV / 6 helpful votes

“No one, Lord,” she said. And Jesus responded, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from this point on, do not sin again.” ]]

John 8:1-59ESV / 6 helpful votes

Jesus, on the other hand, proceeded to the Mount of Olives. He returned to the temple in the early hours of the morning. All of the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began teaching them. He was confronted by a lady who had been caught in adultery, and after placing her in the center of the group, they stated to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.” Now, according to the Law of Moses, we have to stone such ladies. So, what are your thoughts?”

John 8:6ESV / 5 helpful votes

They said that they were doing this to put him through his paces in case they had a charge to file against him. In the midst of his writing, Jesus bowed down and placed his finger on the ground.

John 21:1-25ESV / 4 helpful votes

According to them, they were doing this to put him through his paces in the hopes that they would have something to charge him with later on. In one instance, Jesus bowed down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

Leviticus 20:10ESV / 4 helpful votes

“If a man commits adultery with the wife of a neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress will unquestionably be put to death,” the law states.

Exodus 31:18ESV / 4 helpful votes

And when he had done conversing with Moses on Mount Sinai, he handed over the two tablets of the testimony, which were made of stone and inscribed with the finger of God.

Revelation 2:1-29ESV / 3 helpful votes

Moses received the two tablets of the testament, which were tablets of stone inscribed with God’s finger, after he had ended his conversation with him on Mount Sinai.

John 8:2ESV / 3 helpful votes

He returned to the temple in the early hours of the morning. All of the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began teaching them.

John 15:1-27ESV / 2 helpful votes

I am the actual vine, and my Father is the one who tends the vines. Every branch in me that does not yield fruit is cut off, and every branch that does bear fruit is pruned in order for it to bear even more fruit in the future. Because of the word that I have spoken to you, you are already free of impurities. Stay with me, and I will stay with you. As the branch cannot give fruit on its own unless it is rooted in the vine, neither can you bear fruit on your own unless you are rooted in me. I’m the vine, and you’re the branches on which I grow.

John 8:7ESV / 2 helpful votes

And as they continued to question him, he rose to his feet and addressed them, saying, “Let anyone who is without guilt among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”

John 8:4ESV / 2 helpful votes

During the course of their interrogation, Jesus rose to his feet and said to them, “Let anyone who is without guilt among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”

John 7:53-8:11ESV / 2 helpful votes

When they left, everyone proceeded to their own homes, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He returned to the temple in the early hours of the morning.

All of the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began teaching them. He was confronted by a lady who had been caught in adultery, and after placing her in the center of the group, they stated to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.”

John 7:37-39ESV / 2 helpful votes

During the final day of the feast, the great day, Jesus rose to his feet and shouted out, “If anybody is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” As the Scriptures have spoken, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of life water,’ and so will anyone who believes in me.” The Spirit, he said, was something that those who believed in him would get. However, the Spirit had not yet been given since Jesus had not yet been exalted, so he stated this about him.

John 7:1-53ESV / 2 helpful votes

During the final day of the feast, the great day, Jesus rose to his feet and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. “Whoever believes in me will have rivers of life water flowing out of his heart, as the Scripture says.” The Spirit, he said, was something that those who believed in him would get. However, the Spirit had not yet been given since Jesus had not yet been exalted, so he stated.

John 3:16ESV / 2 helpful votes

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whomever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Luke 21:38ESV / 2 helpful votes

And early in the morning, everyone flocked to him in the temple to hear what he had to say.

Isaiah 3:1-26ESV / 2 helpful votes

For a look at what the LordGodofhosts is doing to Jerusalem and Judah, including all support and supply, including all bread and water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, as well as the expert in charms and the skilled magician. And I will make boys their princes, and newborns will reign over them, as I have done in the past. In addition, the people will abuse one another, each one his companion and each one his neighbor; the youth will be arrogant toward the elder, and the despised against the honorable.

Psalm 139:1-24ESV / 2 helpful votes

For behold, the Lord God of hosts is removing all support and supply from Jerusalem and Judah, as well as all support for bread and all support for water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skilled magician and the expert in charms, to name a few. And I will make boys their princes, and newborns will reign over them, as I have done in previous generations. In addition, the people will harass one another, every one their companion and every one their neighbor; the youth will be arrogant toward the elder, and the despised against the respectable.

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Psalm 77:19ESV / 2 helpful votes

Your route took you through the sea, your trail through the vast expanses of water, yet your footprints were never discovered.

Psalm 23:1-6ESV / 2 helpful votes

Even though your journey took you through the sea, your tracks were not observed on the vast ocean floor.

Deuteronomy 22:22-24ESV / 2 helpful votes

‘If a man is discovered sleeping with the wife of another man, both of them will perish: the guy who was caught lying with her and the lady who was lying with him. As a result, you will remove the wicked from Israel. Suppose a young woman is engaged and a man meets her in a city and begins to have sexual relations with her, you are to bring them both out to the city gate and stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not call for help despite the fact that she was in the city, and the man because he violated the wife of his neighbor.

As a result, you will expel the wicked from your midst.

Deuteronomy 9:10ESV / 2 helpful votes

I was given two tablets of stone, each of which was written with the finger of God, on which were written all the words that the Lord had spoken with you on Mount Sinai, in the middle of the fire on the day that you gathered with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Deuteronomy 1:31ESV / 2 helpful votes

Furthermore, in the desert, where you have witnessed how theLordyour God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the distance that you have traveled until you have arrived at this spot.

Genesis 32:12ESV / 2 helpful votes

‘But I will definitely do you well, and I will multiply your children until they are as numerous as the sands of the sea, which cannot be counted in terms of number.'”

Genesis 22:17ESV / 2 helpful votes

I will undoubtedly bless you, and I will undoubtedly multiply your descendants as the stars in the sky and as the sand that is found on the beach of the sea. And your descendants will take possession of the gate of his adversaries.

John 8:6-59ESV / 1 helpful vote

It is certain that I will bless you, and I will definitely multiply your descendants as many stars in the sky and grains of sand on the beach. In addition, your descendants will be able to take possession of the gates of his adversaries.

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WHAT DID JESUS WRITE IN THE SAND?

WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE JESUS WRITE IN THE SAND? –written by Mary A. LaClair1,300 word summary 2 Early in the morning, he returned to the temple; the entire congregation gathered around him, and he sat down and taught them. 3) The Pharisees and the scribes brought in a woman who had been caught in adultery, and they seated her in the middle of the courtroom. 4 They approached him and said, “Teacher, this lady has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 According to the law of Moses, we are to stone such women.” “Can you tell me what you think of her?” 6 They said that they were doing this to put him through his paces so that they could come up with a charge against him.

Seventeenth, as they continued to question him, he rose to his feet and said to them, “Let anyone who among you is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8 And once again he knelt on the ground and wrote with his finger on the surface of the earth.

10 Jesus raised his eyes to her and asked, “Woman, where have they gone?

And Jesus responded, “Neither do I condemn you; leave, and do not sin against me any longer.” RSV translation of John 8:2 Actually, none of the versions I studied refer to “sand”; instead, they refer to “ground.” Buildings, such as the Temple where this occurred, are rarely constructed entirely of sand.

Some believe it was the names of the guys who were present at the time, men who had sinned with her.

A lot of people believe the former; nevertheless, when it comes to the latter, I believe there is a method to infer from Scripture what Jesus wrote on the ground.

There are more than 24 occasions in the Bible when Jesus is reported as saying, “It is written” and/or something to the effect of “you should know the Scriptures.” In the documentation provided at the conclusion of this essay, you will find a list of several allusions to the Holy Scriptures made by Jesus.

  • The Scribes and Pharisees were proud of their status as professors of the Law, and they had come to Jesus to put him to the test on the Law.
  • These male accusers, like Adam, the stronger sex, attempted to shift the full burden of responsibility to the weaker sex, the woman.
  • These guys were guilty of what is now known as’slut slamming,’ and Jesus punished the male for his actions while acquitting the female.
  • We are told in Matthew 5:18 and Luke 16:17 that “not one jot or tittle of the law shall pass away” because Jesus Himself is the Law Giver.
  • However, these individuals attempted to direct Jesus’ attention to only a portion of the Law – the portion that they picked – in order to “manage the moment” or “fool Him.” YOU CAN’T GET AWAY FROM GOD.
  • (Chapter 9) I suppose that this second time He may have recorded the names of the equally culpable male participants, one by one, beginning with the eldest, on a piece of paper, because they departed “one by one.” As a result, He was demonstrating to the guys their own guilt.
  • He would be informing them that they, too, were responsible.
  • It would be commendable of Him to direct their attention to something they should have known but chose to disregard.

The section that reads: 14 When your daughters play the harlot, nor when your wives commit adultery, I will not punish them since the males themselves go off with harlots and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and the people who do not comprehend this will come to disaster.” Hosea 4:14RSV (Revised Standard Version) These folks lacked comprehension, and he warns them that they would perish in the process.

  1. His message to the guys, I suppose, was to let them know he had not yet absolved them of the same crime or of their own fault in believing they did not require forgiveness themselves.
  2. They address a dead tree with questions, and they expect responses from a robust walking stick.
  3. They’ve substituted God with their own genitals as a kind of worship.
  4. They stretch out and enjoy themselves in the shade of the oaks and elms on the hills.
  5. In addition, the spouses of your sons are having affairs.
  6. Guys who pick up women for prostitution are what I’m after, as are the men who go to the holy whorehouses to worship.
  7. (Hosea 4:11-14, The Message of the Prophet) (emphasis mine) It is extremely evident in this passage that God holds men accountable if women become prostitutes or adulteresses or otherwise engage in sexual crimes, and I believe this is what brought the discussion to a close.

Furthermore, God does not look the other way when it comes to sexual immorality today.

He most likely did write down the names of the individuals who were guilty of the same sin, but I believe He wrote the Law first so that they would have no bargaining chips left to use against one another afterwards.

YOU CAN’T GET AWAY FROM GOD.

They were also aware of the provisions of the law that deal with false witnesses (did they believe Jesus didn’t?

The following article concludes with a reference to Deuteronomy 19:16-21, which deals with false witnesses.

It is my understanding that Jesus mentioned or wrote out Hosea 4:14 on the ground for the first time, following which he wrote down the names of those who were there to whom the Law was applicable.

The fact that Jesus penned the rule the SECOND time He wrote it was applied in the remark part by Malinda, who said so herself in the comments section.

I had left it that the guys silently knew it, although Melinda provides that Jesus reminded them of it.

That’s really cool.

Is there a lesson here for today?

P.S.

When he mentioned the story with the woman who was caught in adultery, the audience’s attention was drawn to him.

This is where I learned that Jesus did not write in the sand as is often believed, but rather “on the ground” as the Bible says.

Due to the fact that the temple was built on large cobblestone squares rather than sand, according to him, Jesus could very well have written on stone with his finger – just as He wrote the Ten Commandments – and the Pharisees would have recognized that they had come into contact with the Law Maker Himself.

teaching a lesson that is more profound than the human ear can perceive?

It gives me a tingling sensation. This post titled:JESUS VALIDATES PROPHETS AND SCRIPTURES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT – END contains the Scriptures where Jesus said:”It is written” and “You should know the Scriptures.” The needed URL for use of ChristArt clip art is_g=1 start=3

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