The Ultimate Jesus Juke
Today's Verse
Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle, they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?” They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”John 8:2-11
The Devotion
When I was a student pastor, a little phrase went viral: "Jesus-juke." It's a phrase used to describe when someone turns an everyday conversation into something ultra-spiritual. Example: One friend says "You know, I just can't live without my SevenBrew every morning." Then another friend says, "Yeah, but can you live without reading He-Brews every morning?" Ok. Dumb example, but you get it.
In John 8, the Pharisees and religious leaders tried to trap Jesus. They brought to Him a woman caught in adultery, reminding Him of the law of Moses that said the punishment for adultery was stoning the guilty one to death, and then set the trap: "What do you say?"
If Jesus said "she should be stoned," he would have gone against Roman law, which didn't allow the Jews to execute their own people. If Jesus said "let her go," he would have gone against Jewish law, which said stoning was necessary in some cases of adultery (not all - see Deuteronomy 22:23-24).
In His answer, Jesus did the ultimate Jesus-juke. He said, "Let the man without sin cast the first stone." One by one, they left (by the way, they didn't bother bringing the man caught in adultery with the woman to Jesus).
Most people who are familiar with the story stop there. Most people can agree that we all have times when we've sinned: told a lie, taken something that wasn't ours, cut someone else down to make ourselves look or feel better... you get the idea.
What most people don't like is that Jesus told the woman, "I don't condemn you. Now go and sin no more." In Jesus, we have the ability to live holy lives. He gives us the strength to run away from sin and chase after Him each day. We don't live in sin or make a certain sin a habit, because the Holy Spirit has inhabited us. No one is perfect, but our lives in Jesus should look more and more like Jesus every day. Ask Jesus to help you "go and sin no more" today.
Lord, thank you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1). Thank you that if I confess my sin, You are faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Thank you that my past is forgiven and my future is secured in You. Help me "go and sin no more" as I follow You today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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