Caught In The Act
John 8:1-11
Today we are going to look at the account of the woman caught in adultery. Like many of us, she was caught in the act. No excuses, no lies, caught red-handed.
To begin with let’s take a look at the background of this account. First of all Jesus was teaching. His passion was the lives of people. The Pharisees were looking to back Him into a corner. Jewish law called for the death of both parties caught in adultery; however, only the Roman government could sentence someone to death. The trap was set...“destroy the law, or kill her?”
Jesus response did not excuse her sin, nor did it negate the law. He did not prevent anyone from throwing a stone. Jesus instead gave us a glimpse into the nature of God.
Jesus is a merciful Savior. She was guilty, caught in the act....had a bad reputation. There was no hiding her failure....too many witnesses. There was no defense and she knew there was a penalty. You see all sin has a price, but you don’t want to know what it costs, because "the wages of sin is DEATH..." But Jesus knew that none of us is righteous. Nobody but Him. No one else can stand up to the measure of His perfection. But Jesus is merciful. He didn’t cast a stone. Sure He was justified, but He wanted something else. He sought transformation.
I want you to notice something. All of the accusers disappeared...it was just Jesus and the woman. Your life is no different. You have been caught red handed in sin and now it is just Jesus and you. When Jesus calls to your heart it’s just you and Him. No one else is involved. The thoughts and opinions of no one else matter.
There’s beauty in this account, because Jesus sets us free. The woman was free to go. She was no longer detained, no longer in jeopardy. Her situation was 180 degrees different than when she first met Jesus. Your life can be 180 degrees different than when you and Jesus first met also.
Just as with the woman, Jesus leaves us simple instructions. Go and sin no more. Jesus did not require the woman to clean up her act and then He would forgive her. He meets us right where we are. I’ve always liked this saying. "Jesus loves you in spite of who you are, but He doesn’t intend for you to stay that way." Why not let Jesus set you free today, He’s your only hope, because you too have been caught red handed.
