Without Sin? Cast the First Stone - John 8:7

The apostle John wrote how, “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what say you? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not”, and in chapter eight and verse seven of his book John shared “when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said … he that is without sin among you … first cast a stone” where we read:

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them,

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

The verse reads, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, ...” John began with the words, “So when they continued asking him” which means “therefore, wherefore, accordingly and consequently because the scribes and Pharisees remained, tarried and kept on questioning and inquiring of Jesus”, “he lifted himself up” or “Jesus raised His body”, “and said unto them” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” … the following words. John shared how Jesus began to respond to the “scribes and Pharisees” with the following words after they continued questioning Him.

The verse goes on to say, “... He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John continued with the words, “He that is without sin among you” which means “the person who has not missed the mark, made an error or mistake and is sinless among the scribes and Pharisees”, “let him first cast a stone” or “allow and permit that person to begin to throw a rock or stone” “at her” which means “at the woman caught in adultery”. John shared how Jesus challenged the “religious leaders” who had never “made a mistake, error or wrong” to begin throwing a “rock” at the “woman caught in adultery”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn about Jesus' deliberate response to these “accusing religious leaders” of this woman. Though they believed themselves to have an open and closed case against her, Jesus had other ideas in mind. His challenge to them to be the “first” to “cast a stone at her”, and it came with only one qualification – to be sinless. We know the scripture says, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (See Romans 3:10), and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). No one is without sin, and these “religious leaders” were no exceptions. We shall see what Jesus and the religious leaders did in our next verse, but for now, let all who read these words examine themselves to discover whether they are without “sin” and could “cast the first stone” at someone who has been “caught in the very act” of their sin.

Next time John shares, “again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".