Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, April 24, 2026.
I've been so blessed studying with my friends of Starkville Bible U. We've been studying John 7:53–8:11, known as The Pericope Adulterae (The Woman Caught In Adultery).
We discussed how this passage was added, by some estimates, centuries after the Gospel of John was written and was almost certainly not written by John.
It sparked a great discussion about sources, apocrypha vs canon, and how the Bible we have today came to be. While the textual history of this passage is debated, we receive it as consistent with the heart and teaching of Christ and accept its witness as the Spirit's own.
What a great time of study. It has sharpened my view of Christ. Because of it, I see something I had not previously noticed in this account of the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus affirms the law that declares her guilty ("[…] throw a stone at her […]" 8:7)
AND He showed her mercy ("Neither do I condemn you […]" 8:11).
Why did Jesus show her mercy? Because He is soft on sin?
No.
Because unlike her accusers, Jesus is not being selective and prejudicial about which sin to condemn (8:15).
He's judging righteously and dealing with all of the sin—hers, theirs and ours.
If Jesus were to damn to destruction for sin as the woman's accusers desired, the just thing to do would be to destroy us all.
But, God.
God who is rich in mercy, so loved the world, that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
But, isn't this just a pass? Doesn't it sidestep the law?
No. It fulfills it.
"And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day."
— Deuteronomy 6:24
The heart of God as revealed in Jesus Christ has always been for our good, to have life and to purge us of what kills us—sin.
That is the purpose of the law—to reveal sin, point us to life, and turn us from death—to bring us to the only means that salvation can be permanently accomplished: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The shedding of Jesus' blood not only releases us from the penalty of sin, it pays it—all of it. Thereby, God is not only merciful but just. God is not flippant about sin but through the sacrifice of His Son, He demonstrates its immeasurable cost.
There's more.
Jesus commands the woman, "Go and sin no more."
But unlike the religious folk who "bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders" yet being unwilling to lift a finger to help them with it (Matthew 23:4), Jesus empowers her to do what He commands through the only possible means: Himself.
"When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.' Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'”
— John 8:10-12
We who believe are likewise empowered. Our salvation is not achieved through mere legal maneuvering, but by His life in us through His resurrection. Our faith is not philosophical. Jesus does not just give us an idea, He gives us new life and power.
His righteous standard is not compromised. He commands us to go and sin not, and we CAN obey by His life working through us as we abide in Him rather than resist Him. (1 John 5:3)
Imagine my surprise to find the Gospel in these 12 verses. No wonder its witness has been preserved.
My key takeaway is Jesus is the Judge. I am not. And His desire is life, not death.
When I consider the sins of others, I must not only deal with their sin, but with it all—and to do so the way I want the Judge to deal with mine: mercifully, compassionately, and correctively, so that it leads to life and not death. So, it’s not a matter of not addressing sin, but whether I do so righteously and as one who stands with another in accountability rather than against them as an accuser.
Grace and truth.
Like Jesus.
Thank you for the privilege of breaking bread with you.
#John #SinAndJudgment #GraceAndTruth #StarkvilleBibleU