She said, "No one, Lord."

John 7:53-8:11
English Standard Version (ESV)


The Woman Caught in Adultery

53[[They went each to his own house,
John 8
1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.5Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" 6This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And 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." 8And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9But 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. 10Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said,"Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]]

The pastor at the church that I attend presented a sermon this past Sunday on this portion of Scripture. As he read, I couldn't stop thinking about the woman's response to Jesus; she called him her Lord. I'm not sure if Jesus elsewhere in the Gospel or book of John has been called Lord yet, I'm going to ask my pastor about this. Already what my pastor taught on this struck the very core of my heart but yet I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that this woman called Jesus her Lord. Simon Peter had called Jesus, The Christ, Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:16). Simon Peter was Jesus's disciple too.

I'm completely fascinated with this woman's faith, because I believe she understood the full scope of the Gospel. She simply could've answered like the Pharisees and called Jesus, Teacher. She could've also called Him her Savior but she calls Him Lord. This woman is exposed in front of everyone; she knows she's guilty as guilty can be. The shame she's dealing with. She could've been on her knees begging for God to have mercy on her, but she doesn't say anything. This kinda seems like a small precursor to Jesus standing before Pilate being falsely accused. This woman was guilty of course.

At the very same time, this very scenario involving this woman I kept thinking that this could be a picture of mankind standing before Christ the Judge for judgment and there is no defense to prove man's innocence. He is guilty as guilty can be and his punishment is death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)."

Many people out there claim to be Christians and those of us that are, how often do we really live as if He's the Lord of our lives. That He's given us a free gift that we don't deserve. He told the woman to stop sinning because I've given you this free gift, I've given you better things. Your life is found in me not these things that your making yourself slaves to. In Christ, you're His prisoner now and that's a good thing. Who gives good things to a prisoner. When you're a prisoner of sin you're blind to it, you don't realize it until it's too late. And that's every kind of sin not just sexual sin. So why do we keep playing with these lousy mud pies that can't satisfy. We strive and strive and strive for better things in this life but the best thing that we need. We kick it, beat, stomp, crush the most valuable gift ever given to us. The gift that sets us free and reconciles us to God, Christ. We treat Him less than He is and why does He love us and pursue us when we don't deserve any of it?

Continuing: