Read John 6
Highlights:
Feeding of the 5,000; Jesus walking on the sea; Jesus, the Light of the World.
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 (John 8:7).
A woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery was taken to Jesus and forced to stand before Him while the scribes and Pharisees hurled their accusations saying, Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou? (8:5).
Spiritual darkness had covered this woman's life, but now she stood before the Light of the World (8:12). The religious leaders who had insisted on keeping the Law slipped away when the Light exposed their sin, too. As we stand before Jesus, we all fall short of what He intended for us to be. Sometimes, we want to be just like those who were bringing judgment on this woman. It is fairly easy to make ourselves look good when we think about who we are being compared to. However, always remember in the end it is Jesus, the one who is perfect, with whom we will be compared. How will we match up then? We will be compared like everybody on that day. It is only through Jesus that any of us are righteous. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (Rom. 3:25).
Jesus did not suggest that what she had done was not a serious sin. No, He merely said, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7). She had indeed sinned, and according to the Law, she should have been stoned. But it is important to remember that she was not the only sinner present that day. All those that stood in the crowd except for the Son of God had transgressed the Law. For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Notice the double emphasis, truth and grace. Truth says, “Stone her!” but grace says, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (8:11).
To share His grace we must do more than say, “I will forgive, but I will never forget,” or “I trusted you once, but I will never trust you again!” We must have a spirit of continual forgiveness. We are called to forgive just as forgiveness is given to us by the Lord. This is not always easy. Sometimes hurts linger on for years and years. It is important to realize that forgiveness helps bring healing to all involved including the one doing the forgiving.
Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).
Thought for Today:
We receive as much grace from the Lord as we are willing to show others.
Cross References:
For John 6:31: See Ex 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24. John 6:45: See Is. 54:13.
Word Studies:
6:24 took shipping, got into boats.
Prayer Suggestion: Ask the Lord to help you teach His Word to your children; it will give guidance and instruction as they go through life (Prov. 6:20-23).
Memory Verse for the Week: Psalms 119:33-34
