uʍop-ǝpᴉsd∩-in Their Own Trap

Here is a link to last week’s series, Upsidedown

Believe

John 8

When we read stories from the Gospels, like the one about the woman caught in adultery in John 8, we often feel sorry for her and angry at the Pharisees. These wicked men were self-righteous sinners. They wanted to kill her, and not out of some loving defense for God or the Mosaic law. They were worked up in pious rage.

I wonder how many of them, with their own impure motives, had actually visited the woman.

But have you ever considered this? The woman was a sinner herself. Her sin, just like the sin of the Pharisees, was an offense to God.

The difference between the woman and the Pharisees was her contrite repentance and their self-righteous pride. They saw her as a sinner, but never themselves.

These dark-hearted religious men sought to lay a trap with a two-fold purpose: one, to catch Jesus, and another, to justify the killing of the woman.

So, for a moment, Jesus let silence drive them.

They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger... John 8:6 (WEB)

Their persistence was met with the wisdom of God.

But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”

John 8:7 (WEB)

Christ was always omniscient. He knew what they would do.

They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

John 8:8-10 (WEB)

Romans 6:23 (WEB)

 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:29 (WEB)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1 (WEB)

Only the Pharisees were caught by a trap of their own design. They denied Jesus.

The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

John 8:13 (WEB)

So, what about you, dear reader?

My prayer is that you have given your heart to Jesus. Don’t reject His great love.

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By the way, we saw some form of the word believe used 5 times in verses 24, 30, 31, 45 & 46. That brings our total in eight chapters to forty-six uses of the word believe. What is this great thought doing for you as a BELIEVER?

World English Bible (WEB)

by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.