No Condemnation in Christ Jesus

John 8

​“There is no record that Jesus ever called the publicans and sinners “children of the devil.” He reserved that title for the hypocritical Pharisees. By nature, we are all “children of wrath”; and by choice, we become “children of disobedience.” When you receive Jesus Christ, you become a child of God. But if you reject Christ and have a false righteousness, you are in danger of becoming a “child of the devil,” for Satan is an imitator. If Satan becomes your father, hell will be your home.” Warren Wiersbe, Word Commentary

“[[They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.]]” John 8:1–11 (ESV)

The woman was guilty, but where was the man? According to Leviticus 20:18, both of them deserved to die, so this incident is quite suspect. It was a trap and Jesus knew it, but He ended up trapping the trappers. So, what we know is that we are left with scribbles in the sand. What did He write? Did He write on the ground to remind them that He had written the Law spelled out in Exod. 31:18, or did He write to refer them to Jeremiah 17:13? Despite the prints and words in the sand, we do know the wonderful message and assurance derived: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Dr. Harold Wilmington writes in his Handbook to the Bible, “The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in an effort to entrap him:

•​If he told them to stone her according to the law of Moses, the Roman authorities might have been irritated since only they could execute criminals.
•​If he told them to forgive her, he would appear to go against the law.
Pretending not to hear their accusations, Jesus knelt and wrote on the ground, then declared that whoever among them was sinless could initiate the stoning. When all the men had left, probably due to guilty consciences, Jesus forgave the woman and urged her to mend her ways—showing the wonderful balance between God’s grace and human responsibility.
The Pharisees’ verbal allegiance to the law was hypocritical, since in bringing the woman to Jesus they themselves had broken the law:
•​Jesus was not the proper authority (humanly speaking) to officiate at a trial.
•​They had failed to also bring for stoning the man caught with her .
No one knows what Jesus wrote on the ground, but some have suggested it was the names of those among the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” John 8:12–30 (ESV)

Here in John 8, we once again discover that the religious leaders did not know where they were going or where He was going because they were in the dark spiritually. They had the light of the Law and of conscience, but they did not have the light of life. Consequently, they did not know the Father or understand what Jesus taught them.

Turning again to the Pharisees, Jesus declared himself to be the “light of the world.” When they responded that his testimony about himself was invalid, since he had no corroborating witness, Jesus said that he did have such a witness—“my Father” (8:14–18). Apparently the Pharisees thought he was referring to an earthly father. Even amid such heated confrontations, God’s hand of protection was upon Jesus.

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” John 8:31–38 (ESV)

Jesus urged the Jews who had believed in him to “keep obeying my teachings” meaning, “abide in my word.” Doing so would establish them in the truth, which in turn would give them true freedom. When these Pharisees misunderstood the kind of freedom Jesus meant, he explained that He meant freedom from sin. It is the nature of sin to enslave; it is the nature of truth to set free. And only in God’s Word can real truth and freedom be found. The Jews’ statement about never having been enslaved was wrong even in physical terms: They conveniently forgot their enslavement in Egypt and Babylon.

The people were in bondage to Rome and to the Law of Moses, yet they said they were free! In verse 35, Jesus may have been referring to Isaac and Ishmael, since the Jews had mentioned Abraham. The Son makes you free, so trust Him and follow Him. His truth makes you free, so study it, believe it, and obey it.

“They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:39–47 (ESV)

Satan imposes slavery that seems like freedom; Jesus gives you a yoke that sets you free.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)

Dr. Tony Evans writes, “Notice that you can believe in Jesus but not continue in His word and, thus, not function as a true disciple. Justification does not automatically result in continuous discipleship.

Despite what you hear or see in our current culture, know that “Truth” is the absolute standard by which reality is measured because they are absolute. We live in a relativistic society that denies absolute truth, claiming, “What’s true for you may not be true for me.” But truth is not based on feelings, experiences, or desires. Truth is God’s viewpoint on every matter, and it is not subject to redefinition. Pilate would ask, “What is truth?,” and the answer to that question is “Jesus.”

Is the Word of God your truth? Is His Gospel the truth you a have accepted? Has he forgiven your sin, never to remember, or is he writing your name in the sand? Have you been liberated or set free from your natural tendencies of sin? Are you resting in the weight that has been lifted from your old sinful life and patterns?
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Know today that “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1)

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