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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.