John Chapter 8
We live in a world that is turned upside down. To the believer it makes no sense why people behave the way they do; until we hold up their actions next to the light and we see the truth of this chapter. What Jesus teaches us in this passage is - that we are either a believer or we are enslaved to the father of lies, the devil. When you begin to see people as prisoners of the devil you begin to understand how they can bend to such lows. If a lie is spoken enough times people who are of the devil will begin to believe the lie. And it is not a far stretch to see how they could pick up stones to kill someone else because they are of their father the devil.
Let's Reflect
1. This chapter begins and ends with the religious leaders wanting to kill someone by throwing stones at them. Jesus could have angrily spoken to this woman who was caught in sin. But He understood what was going on. This woman was being used as a pawn to try to incite Jesus of wrongdoing. Note that the man obviously involved in this sin was not brought out to face the accusers. The law did have this punishment, but it was very strict, and rarely would one be stoned for this crime because they had to be caught in the literal act of doing the activity. This meant that the two witnesses required were sent by the religious leaders to purposefully watch these two people. What question did the accusers ask Jesus about the situation?
2. Jesus’ response was not what they expected at all. He quietly bent down and wrote in the dirt of the ground. There is much speculation as to what He wrote, but that really doesn’t matter, what matters is what question He asked when He stood up. What did He ask?
3. The accusers dropped their stones and left the scene. And Jesus did what He came to this earth to do – He offered the woman a gift. What gift did He offer the woman?
4. Jesus had been teaching when He was rudely and purposefully interrupted with bringing the adulterous woman. As He once again began to teach. He taught a very important truth. What is it? See verse 12.
5. And as if Jesus said, “speaking of the truth, the truth of the law says that like your two witnesses that showed up here today, the corroborating testimony of two witnesses is perceived to be truth. My truth is that I am witness of the Father who sent me.” When they asked Him who His father was, He said that the question was proof that they (the religious leaders of Israel) did not belong to God. He said they did not know the Father. If they knew the Father, who also would they know?
6. Jesus told the pious, prideful, sinful religious leaders exactly who they were. He told them they were of this world and what would happen to them?
7. Jesus told them in verse 24 that when they lifted up the Son of Man, (put Him to death), then they would know by whose authority He speaks because He knew He would rise from the dead. What did Jesus mean when He said to them “I am He?”
8. Jesus taught a key principle to the new believers that day, a principle that we also must pay attention to. What is it? See verse 31.
9. Jesus told the religious leaders that they were not of the Father (God) but their father was the devil, the father of all lies. Why was it impossible for them to hear and accept the true words that Jesus was speaking? See verse 47.
10. And then they just got ridiculous – haven’t we seen this in America today? They accused Jesus of being a Samaritan and filled with a demon. They wanted to claim that they were such good religious leaders because they followed the words of Abraham, their ancestor. If they knew the truth as they claimed, they would have understood that Abraham looked forward to the day that the Messiah would appear. Jesus told them what truth about Abraham?
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