Another Trap

John 8 comes on the heels of John 7. The Jewish leaders in context of the talk of the multitudes during the Feast of Booths were becoming more desperate to have cause to seize and kill Jesus. The crowds went home, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, but the Jewish leaders hatched a plot to trap Jesus. I wonder who thought up this one. Imagine that they are sitting in a meeting discussing their next move and someone says, "I know what we can do? Let's catch some poor woman in the act of adultery, pull her in front of Jesus, quote the Law, and ask Jesus what we should do?" Why would anyone think this would be a good idea? Why did they think this would be a trap? If the woman was guilty, then why wouldn't Jesus tell them to follow the Law? If Jesus had done that would the plot have backfired on them? Actually most of us have a picture in our heads on how this scene unfolded. I know I have. But, do we really know how this happened? There are a lot of questions. How did they know this woman was committing adultery that evening/morning, and where to find her? Was the woman a prostitute or a wayward wife? Did someone follow her the night before and lay in wait for her the next morning? But, how did these leaders know that Jesus would be back in the temple courts early the next morning? This may lead us to think identifying this woman was more impulsive and happenstance than plotted. But, if not plotted then why were so many leaders together so early in the morning? Could the woman have been paid to be there? A part of some conspiracy to entrap Jesus? We know these leaders would pay people to help them, e.g. Judas.

And, what did the actual scene look like? Was the woman being dragged kicking and screaming to Jesus? Or did she come under her own power? Did the men actually have rocks in their hands ready to carry out the stoning? The text does not say they had rocks in their hands. So if they did not then they could not have dropped them and walked away. When Jesus told the women to go and sin no more was the sin he had in mind adultery or participation in a plot to trap Him? Of course we speculate on what he wrote on the ground. He was in the temple courts which would have been paved with stone, it seems. It says he "wrote on the ground." (Literally "in the earth.") Could He like the God of Sinai been writing into the stones showing them He was like His Father who wrote the commandments with His own finger? This would have freaked them out it seems. But it is all speculation.

The fact is they referenced the Law pertaining to adultery. Two likely verses are Lev.20:10 and Deut.22:22. These clearly indicate that death is the penalty for verified adultery. But, there was always a presumption under the Law that the ones who were carrying out the sentence were in some way qualified to do so. It would be wrong for those guilty of capital offences to carry out the death sentence of those guilty of capital offences. So when this woman was brought, the Law was quoted, and the men stood to condemn her, there was one more major factor going on. They were really not seeking to condemn her as much as they were seeking to condemn Jesus, the innocent. They disqualified themselves from being judges. If they could unjustly judge Jesus who had no sin, and seek His death, then how could they stand in judgment of this woman? The difference was Jesus had an option to following the Law. He could because of His sinlessness and in view of His atoning sacrifice six months in the future offer this woman and these men an option not afforded by the Law, i.e. pardon and forgiveness. By His response Jesus showed the woman and these men that He did not come to condemn (John 3) but to save. Had the stones started to fly that morning the only one left standing would have been Jesus.