Second Chances

John 8:1-11

1. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4. and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?” 6. They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. (Note) 7. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, and the woman still standing there. 10. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11. “No one sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Note:

Greg Laurie has suggested that Jesus wrote the secret sins of the accusers into the sand. Can you imagine seeing your worst moments written in the sand before a group as God in human form gazed into your eyes?