Judgment, Grace, Transformation

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”. . . And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”. . . But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:3-5, 7, 9-11)

We are the woman. All of us. We are all sinners, deserving of judgment and condemnation. David has it exactly right: “There is none who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). So the scribes and Pharisees are completely justified in confronting the woman’s sin and advocating the proper penalty under the law.

But Jesus doesn’t confront her sin alone. He compels her accusers to consider their own position before God and, amazingly, they fade into the background - perhaps as they were forced to consider the many ways in which they, too, had violated God’s law and fallen short of his standards.

Then, as they stand their together, Jesus and the woman, he asks an amazing rhetorical question: “Where are your accusers? Who remains to condemn you?” Her answer - “No one, Lord” - isn’t completely accurate; Jesus remains, and he alone has full authority to render judgment and proscribe condemnation (see John 5:22-29).

But he doesn’t judge. He doesn’t condemn. Instead, he offers grace. He offers deliverance from a death sentence. And he alone has full authority to offer grace and forgiveness: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23; see Matthew 9:1-8). In the words of the apostle Paul: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8).

And true repentance, in response to grace and forgiveness, engenders life change. This is what Jesus demands from the woman: “Go and sin no more.” Being a Christ follower is more than a belief system; it’s a lifestyle. In God’s economy, true repentance = transformation. Paul continues: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

We are the woman. All of us. We are all sinners, deserving of judgment and condemnation. And Jesus offers all of us grace and forgiveness and the opportunity to live a transformed life, reconciled to God.