Introduction
In the account of John 8:1-11, we find one of the most impactful episodes of Jesus’ ministry: the woman caught in adultery. Given the Law of Moses, which determined death in such cases, Jesus took a surprising attitude by not sentencing her to execution. But does this mean that Jesus broke the Law by not stoning the adulterous woman? How can we reconcile this action with the statement that He came to fulfill the Law and not to abolish it? In this article, we will explore the context of this event, the Pharisees’ intention in testing Him, the true meaning of the Law, and how Christ’s words reveal a fundamental principle about justice and mercy.
Biblical Account
John 8:1-11 – “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he returned to the temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They set her in the midst and said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. And Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. What then do you say?’ They said this, tempting him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. When they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, being rebuked by their consciences, they went out one by one, beginning with the eldest and going to the last. Jesus was left alone, and the woman stood in the midst. And Jesus straightened himself, and saw no one but the woman, and said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.“
What did the Law Order?
Based on the following text from Deuteronomy 22:22, the Law of Moses expressly commanded that those who were found committing adultery should be stoned.
Deuteronomy 22:22 – “If a man is found lying with a woman who has a husband, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.“
So, did Jesus break the law by not stoning the adulterous woman?
Did Jesus Fulfill the No to the Law?
However, in the account of John 8:1-11, we find a situation where Jesus apparently did not fulfill the order present in the Law. This text has generated some doubts and has even become a point of criticism for some people who do not believe in Jesus as being the Messiah. I would like to remind these people of the words spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.“
As Jesus Himself stated, His coming to this earth was not for the purpose of abrogating the law or the prophets, but rather to fulfill them. This means that at all times of His existence, He was always fulfilling His Father’s commandments, and this does not exclude the situation reported in John 8:1-11.
The Purpose of the Scribes
First, it would be good to consider the purpose for which the scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus. It was not because they had doubts about the commandment, but rather with the intention of looking for some loophole to accuse Him (John 8:6). This was because He had not stoned the adulterous woman.
John 8:6 – “This they said, tempting him, that they might have something to accuse him of.“
If we use John 8:1-11 to accuse Jesus of breaking the Law, we will be acting in the same spirit that the Pharisees and scribes had toward Christ in their day. We need to have a humble spirit in order to learn the valuable lessons of this account and interpret it correctly.
He Who Among You Is Without Sin
Notice that in verse 7, Jesus responds to those people, but in His response, He did not go against the commandment to stone the adulterous woman, but showed everyone that the situation in which that woman found herself was the same as everyone else.
John 8:7,9 – “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. … When they heard this, being chastened by their conscience, they went out one by one, beginning with the eldest and going down to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the middle.“
At that moment, everyone recognized that they were sinners. If her sentence was death, then they all needed to recognize that they also deserved to die. By not stoning her, they recognized through their decisions that they needed God’s mercy. They knew that breaking God’s Law brought death. The woman had committed adultery and deserved death, but just as they wanted to live and depended on God’s mercy, they recognized that she needed that mercy too.
Lessons Taught by Jesus
Through this situation, Jesus taught everyone that we must be merciful to our fellow man, because we are all in the same situation. We are sinners and worthy of death before God. If we want the Lord’s mercy, we need to be merciful to our neighbors as well.
Notice that at no time was Jesus against the execution of that woman because of the commandment. What He did was simply teach something that the Law itself already taught, that is, mercy! But where did it teach this? When someone committed a sin, they offered animal sacrifices. In this situation, the law determined the death of the transgressor, but the animal died in his place.
On the other hand, we could still say that Jesus failed to fulfill a commandment, since He Himself did not stone that woman.
John 8:10-11 – “And Jesus straightened himself, and saw no one but the woman, and said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.“
Reviewing the Commandment of the Law of Moses
It is at this point that many have doubts or even criticize Jesus’ decision not to stone the adulterous woman. But let us note again the commandment given by Moses:
Deuteronomy 22:22 – “If a man is found lying with a woman who has a husband, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.“
The commandment determined the execution of both, the man and the woman. But in Jesus’ situation, they only brought the woman to Him. The fact that Jesus did not stone the woman does not mean that He failed to fulfill the commandment, since it ordered the sentence for both guilty parties. In reality, to fulfill the commandment, the authorities should have judged both of them on that occasion, but this did not happen.
Conclusion
Therefore, we can conclude that at no time did Jesus break the commandment, because the other guilty party was not present for the law to be applied correctly. Still, God, as the judge of all things, knew the heart and life of that woman. Jesus, being inspired by His Father, pronounced the correct judgment for that situation. We must not forget that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. Although the law determined the death of the transgressor, it also taught mercy for those who repented.
May God bless the reader.
