John 8

Should 7:53-8:11 be here? Consider these facts:

• It’s in about 1500 manuscripts.
• It’s also in 500 lectionary texts (daily reading manuscripts in the early church).
• It’s missing in 269 manuscripts, sometimes because they were copied off an earlier manuscript that omitted it.
• Augustine though that it was “omitted because of the prudish fear that it would encourage adultery.”
• Jerome (347-420) said, “in the Gospel according to John in many manuscripts, both Greek and Latin, is found the story.”
• Eusebius (an early historian) mentions that Papias (ca 100) seems to reference the story.

Some believe that the gospel reads better if this passage is omitted, but this is how it fits:

• 7:37 – It’s the last day of the feast
• 7:53 – “Everyone went to his own house”
• 8:1 – Jesus stays in Jerusalem
• 8:2 – Jesus goes back to the temple to teach
• 8:2 – It’s very early in the morning
• 8:3 – The woman is brought into outer court
• 8:11 – The woman leaves temple going east (into the sunrise)
• 8:12 – Jesus says “I am the light of the world…”
• 8:12 – The text says Jesus spoke to them “again”!

The main point of the passage is that grace and forgiveness are a priority! How does Jesus get the crowd to realize this? He says, “he who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her,” and writes something on the ground. What does He write? Twelve manuscripts read, “the sins of each one of them.” Others think that He may have written a Scripture passage on the ground, like:

Exodus 23:1 (WEB) “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.”

Exodus 23:7 (WEB) “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.”

But, perhaps most likely, He is just scribbling in the sand to take up some time and to give His words time to sink in.

The rest of our chapter reminds us that personal belief is what saves. Your lineage, history, and heritage can give you some advantages, but it can’t save.

Jesus starts out by saying that He is the light of the world and He brings life and illumination (12). The Pharisees call Him a liar, and Jesus points out that they don’t even know Him, so they aren’t really in a position to judge Him (13-15)! Jesus says that His testimony is supported by the Father, and that the Father testifies of Him. Unfortunately, they don’t have any idea who the Father is (16-20), and they will die in their sins because they don’t believe in Jesus (21-24).

Jesus, however, knows the Father, because the Father is with Him. He does exactly what the Father wants and says what the Father says. His crucifixion will prove it, probably because of the resurrection that follows (25-30)!

Jesus continues by saying that His teaching will set them free if only they will believe. It’s not enough to be descendants of Abraham – they need to be set free from sin. They are really doing the deeds of their true father, the devil! If they truly were spiritual descendants of Abraham they would follow His teaching and believe in Him. In that way they would show that they belong to God and would never see death (31-51). The Pharisees think that He must be possessed. Everyone dies, even Abraham! Jesus says that Abraham saw His day coming and was glad. How could that be possible? Because Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, the embodiment of the hope that God gave to Israel, and is God Himself (52-59). He is “I AM!”

Thought for the day: If Jesus took a moment to scribble so that others could think about what He said, we should certainly take a moment each day to dwell on His words to us.

2 Timothy 2:7 (WEB) “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.”