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We don't know how long it was before Jesus went
back to teaching after the last incident. Nor do we
know why He picked His next message.

It could have been the giant candelabra that hung
in the temple and burned during the Feast of Tab-
ernacles. Whatever it was, he began speaking with
"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light
of life." John 8:12

Jesus ddn't watch as they left but let them quietly
slip away. He didn't desire to expose their evil
lives. He also knew they wouldn't make any more
accusations against the woman, because they had
left her sitting there on the ground.

Then Jesus looked up and not seeing them, just
the woman, He asked her, "Woman, where are
those thine accusers? hath no man condemned
thee?" She said, "No man, Lord."

She could have gone, it would have been natural
to want to flee, but she didn't move. At that time
she must have felt her shame greatly. Her case
was dismissed, no more accusers. Jesus let her
leave forgiven "Neither do I condemn thee: go,
and sin mo more." Surely she never forgot it
and was delivered forever. Misery and mercy
had been left there together.

They wondered what Jesus was writing on the
ground and looked to see. But we are not told
what He wrote. It may have been some thing to
do with what He had said. Could He have been
writing some of their sins to let them know that
He was aware of their lives?

The first to leave was the eldest, was his the
first on the list? And then one after another in
order as Jesus continued to write. It would be
interesting to know for sure. They all left in a
quiet hurry.

For them to condemn the woman would have
brought their sins crashing down upon their own
heads.

Jesus must have been disgusted with the hypo-
crisy that they were showing.

Jesus displayed grief for the woman and for
their obvious lack of compassion and humanity.

Jesus answered them in a pecular way, which
showed His wisdom. He bent forward in His
seat as if He did not hear and began writing with
His finger on the ground. The Pharisees mistaken
it to mean He was confused so began to press Him
for an answer. Then He looked up and spoke to
them slowly, "He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her"

The Pharisees thought they had Him. They knew
of His compassion for sinners. He had even picked
a publican for a disciple.

Would He acquit her making Himself a target for
violating the Law? Or, condemn her, shocking the
people who were touched by His love and tender-
ness? Maybe He would anger the magistrates who
would feel He was intruding into their territory.

The Pharisees seemed to think they had Him
trapped with no way out.

The Scribes and Pharisees decided to use this
woman and situation to try and trap Jesus. They
were not concerned that Roman Law would pre-
vent them from killing her.




They didn't need to
drag her in front of
Jesus if they really
wanted His opinion.



Their piety and hypocrisy explained, "Now
Moses in the law commanded us, that such
should be stoned: but what sayest thou?"
John 8:5

Apparently during some of these festivals, acts
of immorality had taken place. There was a case
in which a woman was caught in the act and was
dragged before the scribes and Pharisees. Her
partner had not been held.

According to the Law of Moses, the adultress
was to be stoned to death. But because of how
common the sin had become the penalty wasn't
carried out any more.

After all that taken place that day, Jesus went to
the Mt of Olives to spend the night. Whether it
was in the Garden of Gethsemane isn't clear, but
He slept under the trees. In the morning around
dawn He woke up to continue spending time in
prayer with His Heavenly Father.

Later that morning Jesus went back to the temple
and learned that a new plot against Him had been
planned.

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Their error was that they considered Jerusalem
to be the center of all religion. So they figured that
the Messiah would come from or around Jerusalem.

Nothing good had ever come from Galilee, so they
weren't looking for Him there. They had overlooked
that other prophets, including Nahum, Elijah and
Jonah, had come from there.

At this time the Sanhedrin had left Jesus alone.
They had not succeeded in taking Him as they had
planned but they would not quit until they achieve
their purpose.

Nicodemus was the only one who said anything
in favor of Jesus. He said, "Doth our law judge
any man, before it hear him, and know what
he doeth?"

Nicodemus hadn't forgotten the night that he
had talked with Jesus and he had remembered
every word Jesus had said. But he had been
afraid to confess his belief and only pointed out
that whether it was legal to condemn Him before
they had heard Him.

The Sanhedrin had now sent officers to get Jesus.
It was a good time to do so because of the divided
opinion among the people.

The officers, while waiting for the right time, stood
behind the pillars watching and listening to what
Jesus was saying. As they were listening to His words
they lost the will to carry out their orders.

When they went back without Him the Sanhedrin,
the chief priests and Pharisee asked them why they
didn't bring Him. They answered, "Never man spake
like this man."

The angry Pharisees replied, "Are ye also deceived?
Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed
on him? But this people who knoweth not the law
are cursed" John 7:47-49

As Jesus taught the people, they became convinced
the He was the Great Prophet that Moses spoke of.
Others thought He was also the Christ.

But some of the Jews objected. It is a good example
of how a little knowledge can be worse than none.
Those who objected told that the Scriptures said
that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But showed that
He was born in Nazareth. We know He was born
in Bethlehem, so their lack of knowledge led them
astray. If they had known the Scriptures they would
have known that the Great Light was to shine also in
the darkness of Galilee. This light was the Immanuel
who would be called "Wonderful, Counsellor, the
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of
Peace." Read Isaiah 9:1,2,6

On the last day of the feast Jesus made His most
important prophecy. John 7:37-38

Early in the morning the priest went to the pool
to draw water for the ceremonies at the temple.
Also on this day the people, after giving thanks
for the harvest, prayed for rain. I may have been
after the people had prayed that Jesus began to
speak of the life-giving water which He would give
to all those that believed on Him.

It was the prophecy of the coming of the Holy
Spirit, which would come upon the disciples on the
day of Pentecost.

Jesus became bolder in His speaking. He claimed
that He came from the Father. This was too much.
They thought of taking Him then but no one had the
nerve to lay hands on Him.

Jesus wasn't phased by their threats and continued
to preach,

"Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I
with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where
I am, thither ye cannot come." John 7:33-34

The news that Jesus had returned to Jerusalem
reached the chief priests. Someone had brought
it to them that Jesus was teaching in the temple.
They asked, "Do the rulers know indeed that
this is the very Christ?

The answer was that it couldn't be so.
"Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but
when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence
he is." John 7:27

Then Jesus said, "Why go ye about to kill me?"
It was a guilty secret that the rulers of the Jews
had kept from the people and it shocked them.
They tried to get around it by saying, "Thou hast
a devil; who goeth about to kill thee?"

Jesus ignored them and referred to His earlier
miracle of healing on the porches of Bethesda on
the Sabbath day. Because it was done on the
Sabbath day the Jews had sought to kill Him.

Jesus pointed out their inconsistency by stating
that the Law said a child had to be circumcised
on the eighth day even if it landed on the Sabbath.
So wasn't healing more or just as important?

Jesus answered them, and said, "My doctrine is
not mine, but his that sent me.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I
speak of myself." John 7:17

He told them that although Moses had given them
the Law and they had obeyed it in a precise way,
they were totally ignorant of its principles.

Despite their fanatical observances of trivialities,
they had failed to keep the basic commandments
of the Law.

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Then right in the middle of their conversation
Jesus appears, apparently without His disciples.

He went to the temple and began teaching. The
Jews were puzzled as the listened to Him. This
man had never gone to their schools so where
did He get His wisdom.

It was the same question that was circulating
in Nazareth.