The Point The Passage The Bible Meets Life The Setting

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The Point We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

The Passage John 8:2-11

The Bible Meets Life When we see reports about crime and violence, we want justice to be served and punishment appropriately meted out. When it comes to our own sins, we want mercy. We deserve punishment, but who would willingly seek it? God offers us an alternative to punishment: full forgiveness. Jesus extended forgiveness to a woman caught in adultery. She deserved punishment but experienced mercy.

The Setting While in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus entered the temple complex and was teaching the people. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in adultery to Jesus in order to see how Jesus would judge her. They were trying to trap Jesus. They believed that if Jesus chose mercy He would have been in opposition to the Law of Moses, and if He chose judgment He would have been encouraging the illegal enactment of capital punishment.

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What does the Bible say? The temple complex (v. 2)—The word “temple” was used to refer both to the primary building and to the entire area with its courts. Since Jesus was not teaching in the temple building itself but in one of the courtyards, many translations refer to the “temple complex” or use similar wording.

John 8:2-11 (HCSB) 2 At dawn He went to the temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her

stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” 6 They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus

stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. 7 When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without

sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned

you?” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

GET INTO THE STUDY

10 minutes

DISCUSS: Invite your group members

Notes

to turn their attention to the image at the bottom of page 21 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: “When was the

TIP: Additional teaching ideas for your group are available on the Bible Studies for Life blog under the “Leader Extras” tab.

funniest time you were caught redhanded?” RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 22): Our neighbor Mr. John was in his 80s. So when I saw all the cars in his driveway, I knew it could only mean one thing: he had died. I felt convicted because I’d never talked with him about the Lord. I didn’t know where he would spend eternity. The next day, though, Mr. John was outside shoveling snow! I went to his driveway and said, “Mr. John, it’s good to see you. When I saw all the cars yesterday, I thought you had died!” After a big laugh, He explained that he’d had a birthday party. I wasn’t about to let another opportunity pass, so I asked, “Mr. John, if you had died yesterday, would you be in heaven?” “I can’t go to heaven, because when I was a young man, I caught my wife with another man. She left me to raise our five children alone. I’ve hated her all these years.” SAY: “That morning I shared with Mr. John a truth found in Jesus’ encounter with a group of unforgiving men and one adulterous woman: we can know freedom when we experience God’s forgiveness.” GUIDE: Call the group’s attention to The Point on page 22 of the PSG: “We deserve punishment, but God forgives.” PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying for a deeper understanding of God and the forgiveness He offers us in Christ.

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 8:2-6

Notes

2

At dawn He went to the temple complex again, and all the people were

coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” 6 They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 8:2-6. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 24): Some people just like to throw stones. Stones of arrogance. Stones of condemnation. Stones of entrapment. In John 8, the scribes and Pharisees threw just those kinds of stones. They brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, but couldn’t have cared less about the woman. They just wanted to use her to trap Jesus. They believed if Jesus chose to show her mercy, He would be in opposition to the Law of Moses. If He chose to allow the bystanders to stone her, He could be in violation of Roman law. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): To help learners connect with this passage, bring in small stones and distribute them to your group. Lead your group to discuss the similarities between physically and figuratively throwing stones at someone. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it necessary for sin to be punished?

DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 24 of the PSG: “Are we responsible for exposing the sin of others? Explain.” SUMMARIZE: In this passage, the scribes and Pharisees waited to see how Jesus would respond to the adulterous woman. ]]

According to Mosaic Law, adultery was an offense punishable by stoning.

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God is holy; therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has had a standard of righteousness. Failure to live by God’s standard brought death and separation from God. The consequences of sin and disobedience have continued throughout Scripture and they continue today (Romans 6:23).

TRANSITION: In the next verses, Jesus clarifies that all people have sinned.

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

John 8:2-6 Commentary God’s law calls for the punishment of sin. Verse 2: As Jesus so often did (John 7:14,28), He went to the temple area in order to teach those who came to worship and study. Most likely due to His reputation for healing and teaching with authority, “all the people were coming to Him.” Jesus responded by teaching them. Verse 3: While Jesus was teaching the people, a group of Jewish religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery and forced her to stand in front of Jesus and the crowd. This group consisted of the scribes and the Pharisees. The scribes were men who had dedicated their lives to copying and studying the Jewish Scriptures, our Old Testament. They were the teachers and interpreters of the Law of Moses. The Pharisees were a group of men who believed the supreme duty of all people was to obey God’s law. They devoted themselves to teaching and obeying every law found in the Old Testament. Since people often had questions about exactly how to carry out certain parts of the law, the scribes and Pharisees would add their own interpretations which were called “the tradition of the elders” (Mark 7:3). Though these teachings were not part of the inspired biblical text, the scribes and Pharisees treated them as equally important and authoritative. Jesus had often encountered the hostility of these Jewish leaders when He refused to support their teachings (vv. 6-13). Because Jesus opposed their teachings, the Jewish leaders tried several times to trap Him with some question (Matthew 19:1‑9; 22:15‑22). Their goal was to discredit Him before the crowds or to get Him in trouble with the legal authorities. This was another such occasion. Verses 4-6: In order to pressure Jesus into making a false step, the religious leaders reminded Jesus the Law which God had given through Moses commanded that a woman who had committed adultery was to be killed by stoning. Clearly, these religious leaders were not at all concerned about redeeming the woman but only in using Jesus’ words as evidence to accuse Him (John 8:6). The specific law to which the religious leaders referred is found in both Leviticus (20:10) and Deuteronomy (22:22). Their plan was to force Jesus to choose between upholding God’s law and showing mercy. If Jesus said that the woman should be shown mercy, then His enemies could paint Him as opposing the Mosaic Law. Such a charge could turn the crowds against Him. However, if He called for the woman to be stoned, then His enemies could tell the Roman officials that He was trying to exercise authority (enforcing capital punishment) only the Roman government had. Also, the religious leaders could claim that Jesus wasn’t really merciful. So what did Jesus say to His accusers? At first, nothing. Instead, He “stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger.” What did He write? We can only speculate. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 8:7-9

Notes

7

When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The

one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 8:7-9 ALTERNATE QUESTION: How does Jesus’ statement in verse 7 influence our everyday actions and attitudes?

DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 25 of the PSG: “What kinds of ‘stones’ do we often throw today?” SUMMARIZE: In a purely legalistic sense, the religious leaders could have stoned the woman. After all, she was guilty of cheating on her husband, and they caught her in the act. Jesus never denied that, but He didn’t approach the woman’s sin or attack her personally in the same way the religious leaders did. Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t deal immediately with the woman’s guilt at all. Instead, He focused on the scribes and Pharisees and addressed their guilt! Jesus forced the scribes and Pharisees to look inward and He challenged them to confront the darkness in their own hearts. ]]

Jesus wrote. “Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger ” (v. 6). Scripture doesn’t record what was written on the ground, so we have no way of knowing what Jesus chose to write.

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Jesus spoke. “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

TRANSITION: Jesus offered more than just forgiveness to this woman. In the next verses, He offered grace and called the woman to a new way of life.

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

John 8:7-9 Commentary None of us is without sin. Verse 7: Clearly, the scribes and Pharisees thought they had trapped Jesus in a box with no way out. Either He had to condemn the woman and show that He wasn’t consistent in showing mercy, or He could say to let her go and show that He wasn’t faithful to Scripture. Feeling certain they had finally put Jesus in a spot from which there was no escape, “they persisted in questioning Him.” They kept on asking Him to give a verdict on what should be done. At last Jesus turned His attention to those accusing the woman. He stopped His writing and stood up. He told them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Why did Jesus add this requirement? Even more importantly, what right did He have to add any requirement to the Law? Jesus added this requirement because He was more concerned with the condition of a person’s heart than his or her outward performance. Jesus challenged the woman’s accusers to judge themselves before they judged her, and He knew that none of them could pass His test. What authority did Jesus have to add this requirement to God’s Law? Who does have the authority to judge people? Jesus had the authority to add this requirement and pass judgment over people because He is the Son of God (John 5:19‑30; 8:16). As Jesus showed in the Sermon on the Mount, He has full authority not only to interpret the Law but also to point out God’s intention behind the Law. God was never concerned with mere outward performance (Amos 5:21‑24; Micah 6:6‑8). The greatest commandment was not just to obey rules but to love God from the heart (Matthew 22:37). We are expected to obey God’s commands, but out of love for Him, not merely as an outward performance or as an attempt to earn the love and acceptance He already has given us in Jesus Christ (John 14:15). As the divine Son of God, Jesus had the authority to tell these men how to obey God. Verses 8-9: Rather than continuing to argue with the woman’s accusers, Jesus “stooped down again and continued writing on the ground” with His finger. After hearing what Jesus had said and watching Him write again, the men began to walk away. Notice that “they left one by one, starting with the older men.” Why did the older men leave first? Some scholars believe they left first because they were wiser and more quickly understood the impact of the words Jesus spoke and wrote. As they understood, God’s Spirit convicted them of their sinfulness. As they recognized they had no right to condemn the woman, they simply walked away. Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left in front of the crowd of onlookers.

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE John 8:10-11

Notes

10

When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one

condemned you?” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud John 8:10-11. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 27): “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” That’s it? Just go and don’t do it again? Did Jesus let her off too easily? Jesus neither ignored nor casually dismissed her sin. Packed in His words was an acknowledgement that, indeed, she had sinned. His words also called her to repentance. She was to leave her life of sin. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What was at the heart of Jesus’ message for the woman?

DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 26 of the PSG: “When have you experienced grace?” RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 27): How could Jesus offer such forgiveness and grace? He is God—the sinless, perfect Son of God—yet He would take the punishment she fully deserved. He would die for her sins. He freely offered forgiveness, but that forgiveness was not cheap. The order of Jesus’ words is important. He offered forgiveness before He called her to repent and start anew. DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity on page 26 of the PSG on their own. (Note: The PSG includes a scale with this activity.) Grace or Judgement?: How do you often respond when confronted by the failures of others? ]]

How likely are you to criticize people in specific demographic groups? (i.e. Democrats, Republicans, religious, non-religious, and so on)

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How often do you use negative labels for people in online conversations?

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How often do you intentionally encourage your coworkers, friends, and casual acquaintances?

DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 27 of the PSG: “How can we reflect God’s grace and forgiveness to others?”

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TRANSITION: God forgives; then, He calls us to a new life marked by grace. SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

John 8:10-11 Commentary God forgives us out of His grace. Verse 10: Once all the accusers had gone, Jesus stopped writing and stood up. For the first time He spoke to the woman. “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Of all the things He could have said or asked, why did He ask these two questions? Clearly, He wasn’t concerned with teaching the crowd or with bragging about how He had once again defeated His enemies. His entire focus was on this frightened woman who was covered in guilt and shame. Jesus asked these two questions in order to help the woman see that even though she was guilty of a terrible sin, no one had condemned her. No one was going to stone her. Verse 11: Her answer was simple and profound: “No one, Lord.” Jesus led her to say aloud that even though she deserved to be punished, there was no one who would condemn her and carry out her execution. Calling Jesus “Lord” probably was merely a sign that she respected His authority, not that she recognized His divinity or that she had put her faith in Him as her Lord and Savior. Jesus could have let her go with a simple word of encouragement, but He did so much more, saying, “Neither do I condemn you.” She had recognized His authority to set her free, but now she heard Him declare He would not condemn her either. Though Jesus had the authority to condemn her, He explicitly refused to do so. Though Jesus refused to condemn this poor woman, He didn’t simply dismiss her. Before He let her go, He added a command. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” Yes, she was free to go, but He challenged her to walk in a new way of life. Both Jesus and the woman knew she was guilty of being a sinner. His words imply that this was not the first time she had committed sexual sin. Jesus could have adopted a legalistic, judgmental tone. By Jewish religious standards, she was a notorious sinner. However, Jesus focused on the future rather than the past. He urged this woman to turn from her sins and begin a new life. We aren’t told about this woman’s response. What we know for certain is what kind of Savior Jesus is. While He loves without limit, offering forgiveness of all sins to those who repent and believe in Him, He expects His followers to trust and obey His commands. No words better describe Jesus and His mission than those of John 1:17—“for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Read the articles “A Woman’s Status in the First Century” and “Jesus at the Temple” in the Winter 2015-2016 issue of Biblical Illustrator. Previous Biblical Illustrator articles “Adultery in Ancient Law” (Spring 2014), “Deserving of Death: Stoning in the Old Testament” (Spring 2007), “Who Were the Pharisees?” (Spring 1998), and “Who Were the Scribes?” (Spring 1995) relate to this lesson and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at www.lifeway.com/ biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT SAY: “God’s forgiveness is offered to us, even when we don’t deserve it. How does this truth impact your relationships with those around you?”

Notes

GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 28 of the PSG. ]]

Evaluate the way you confront and forgive those around you. Do you typically reflect the kind of forgiveness and grace found in John 8? Ask God to change your attitude and words to match His.

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Commit to pray specifically for those around you who do not know God’s forgiveness. Use the prayer section (pp. 6-9) and list at least three friends who do not know Christ. Ask God to give you opportunities to share with them what you’ve learned of His forgiveness.

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Go the extra mile by mending a broken relationship. Focus on forgiveness and the next God-honoring step so that you both can move forward in God’s grace.

Wrap It Up
 SAY: “Remember Mr. John, my next door neighbor? He couldn’t do what was right—forgive—until He experienced God’s forgiveness himself. I shared the good news of Jesus with him, and right there in the snow, Mr. John prayed to receive Christ. God’s forgiveness is available to us as well. What will you do with God’s forgiveness?”

Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry).

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay