The Woman Caught in Adultery (Verses 1-11)

There is nothing else quite like this event in the four Gospels. In seeking to understand it and by suggesting that the Lord Jesus Christ took a lax view of the sin of adultery would be a mistake. There is nothing in the text to support such an idea. Our Lord’s enemies brought a woman before Him. This woman according to those who brought her was caught in the act of adultery. They asked Him what punishment she ought to receive. We are told that they brought her to Him to tempt Him. They hoped to trap Him into saying something that they could later use against Him. They hoped that Jesus would say something contrary to the Law of Moses. Our Lord knew their hearts and could understand their motives. He refused to judge the matter since, as they said, the Law was clear and they had stated it.

At first therefore Jesus gave them no answer at all. But when they continued to ask Him our Lord said that the first person among them who was without sin should cast the first stone. This spoke to the hypocrisy of their hearts. They knew that none of them were without sin and thus their consciences were pricked. He did not say that the woman had not sinned, nor that her sin was a trivial matter. He reminded her accusers that they had not the moral right to point the finger of guilt at anyone.

When they understood their own guilt they left one by one. Jesus also dismissed the woman with the solemn words, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” In the absence of witnesses or accusers, there was no case to answer. Our Lord knows the hearts and minds of all mankind; He knew if she was guilty or not and deserving of punishment. To say that our Lord made light of the sin of adultery is not true. Jesus taught that the sin of adultery can be committed by mere looking with lust (Matt. 5:28). There is no one in all of Scripture who spoke so highly of marriage as Jesus (Matt. 19:5). In this passage the teaching is not so much about adultery, but rather the hypocrisy of her accusers. Jesus is making the point that those who accused here were just as guilty of breaking the law as she was, and thus in no place to take the moral high ground and condemn the woman. 

There are two great lessons to be learnt in the passage. Firstly, the power of conscience. We read in the passage that when the woman’s accusers heard the Lord’s response, “ being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” They were surely hardened sinners, but something within them spoke to them: something they made them feel like utter cowards. God has taken care to leave within every man a witness that will be heard.

Conscience is a man’s compass. There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience. The accusers did not have a clear conscience. Conscience cannot save us. Conscience can mislead us at times. Conscience can be dulled (1 Tim. 4:2), but never snuffed out completely. Even the most hardened and wicked of men has a conscience. When our conscience is pricked and stirred it can never be completely silenced until we come to Christ.

Secondly, we learn the nature of true repentance. When our Lord said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn thee,” He dismissed her and charged her to “sin no more.” He did not say, “Go home and repent.” He pointed out the chief thing which she needed to hear: the necessity of breaking off from her sin. The essence of true repentance is to forsake sin. Action is the very life of repentance unto salvation. Until a man turns away from a life of sin he does not really repent.

Let us search our heart and soul to see if we have truly forsaken our sin. Let us not rest till we can say, “ I hate all my sin, and desire to sin no more.”

I am the Light of the World (Verses 12-50)

The conservation that took place between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Jews is not easy to understand. In a passage such as this we must acknowledge the great importance of our spiritual sight and be thankful if we can understand some of the truths. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to understand this passage. Let us draw on the facts that the Lord Jesus Christ said about Himself. Our Lord said that he is, “the light of the world.” This indicates to us that the world is in darkness and that Christ is the light that the world needs. There is a naturally dark condition of the world that only Christ and the light he gives can remedy.

It is a sad reality that the vast majority do not understand the value of their souls, the true nature of God, nor the reality of the world to come. They see no light, no hope and no comfort in the one true light of the world. They take comfort in the darkness of the world. They delight in the darkness of sin and a life outside of true fellowship with the Saviour. Our Lord said, “And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil” (John 3:19). The Lord Jesus Christ tells us that those who love their evil deeds hide in the darkness lest their deeds should be known.

In Luke 1:79 these words are recorded, “to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” In John 1:4 the Bible says this about the Saviour, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 reads, “Because it is the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The world is in spiritual darkness. Ephesians 5:8 tells us, “for ye were once darkness, but now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” This verse teaches us that all children of light ought to shine in the world. They are to be beacons of hope in the darkness of the world, pointing to the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 tells us that we who are in Christ are not in darkness.

Christ invites all who want spiritual help and guidance to turn to Him and take Him as their Lord and Saviour. He in the only remedy for men’s darkness. What the sun is to the world, Christ is to the sinner. He is the source of light and life. Let this truth sink deep within our hearts. There are many false lights that demand our attention today; false religion, liberalism, human philosophy, social action and many more. So, it is important that we know the true light of the world. “In His light we shall see light” declares Psalm 36:9.

Let us also focus on what our Lord said about those who follow Him. In verse 12 the Lord Jesus said, “he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” To follow Christ means to wholly and entirely commit to Him as Lord and Saviour; to submit to Him, to trust Him, to obey Him and to love Him. “Following” is another word for “believing.” He that follows Christ shall not walk in darkness. He that follows Christ shall not be left in ignorance. He that follows Christ shall not walk in darkness, but shall see the way to Heaven and know where he is going. He will feel within himself the guiding light of God. He shall find in his conscience a living light. He shall have a light that will never grow dim, never be put out and shall never fail.

Lastly, let us draw on what the Lord Jesus Christ says of His enemies. He tells the Pharisees with all their wisdom, learning and understanding that they are ignorant of God. He tells them, “Ye know neither me nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father” (verse 19). Ignorance like this is sadly very common. There are millions who are acquainted with many branches of human wisdom and learning. They can argue and reason about religion and yet know nothing about the Light of the World. They acknowledge that there is a God, but His character and attributes they know not. His holiness, His purity, His justice, His wisdom seems to elude them. In fact the subject of God’s true nature and character makes them uncomfortable, and they do not wish to dwell upon it.

The secret of knowing God is to draw near to Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God in Christ is full of mercy, grace and peace. His holiness need not make us afraid. Christ is the way to the Father. If we know Christ, we shall know the Father. Ignorance of Christ is the root of ignorance of God. If we know not Christ then the sum of a man’s religion is error.

Let us leave nothing uncertain that concerns our everlasting salvation. Christ is this world’s true light. Let us not waste our lives in doubting, arguing and reasoning, but simply follow Christ. The man that says, “I must first understand everything before I become a Christian,” will die in his sins. Let us begin by simply following and then we shall find light.

Where I Go You Cannot Come (Verses 21-30)

This section of John chapter 8 continues the argument that Jesus had with the Scribes and Pharisees in the previous section. He tells them that they will die in their sins. 1 John 3:4 tells us that sin is lawlessness. Sin is an act that is inherently wrong. Sin is a departure from right, thus failing to uphold the divine standard. Sin is unbelief. All of this was true of the Scribes and Pharisees. The Jews misunderstood the meaning of the Lord when he said, “Whither I go, ye cannot come.” (Verse 21). The Jews thought that Jesus was going to kill himself, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Jews were unaware that the death Jesus would endure was a voluntary one.

We learn that it is possible to seek Christ in vain. Our Lord said to the unbelieving Jews, “Ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sin.” He meant by these words that the Jews would seek Him with no true purpose. The lesson we learn is a very painful one. A sinner may have religious feelings about Christ and not have true saving faith. A sinner may have a good deal of “religiousness” about him, but have no heart for the Saviour. Salvation is not based on our feelings about Christ. Salvation is a belief in the heart that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Saviour; that Christ died for the forgiveness of your sins. Salvation is a submission to the word of God. Salvation means holding to the promises of God. It ought to remind us of men such as John Wesley, who was ordained as a minister before he was converted to the truth of the Gospel. Mr. Wesley lacked saving faith in the Saviour until his heart was strangely warmed to Christ on May 24, 1738. After his conversion Wesley was used greatly by God for His glory.

There have been countless ministers of the Gospel who can testify to souls seeking the Saviour in the closing moments of their earthly life. Prayers are said more fervently, strong spiritual feelings are displayed and a seeking of Christ for a season is evident. Yet all that is in vain if the heart of a man is not touched by the saving grace of the Gospel. He is said to have sought Christ “in vain” because his motives were false and his heart was not touched. Scripture and experience testify that men may reject God even if they seem to seek the Saviour as judged by their outward expression.

There can be no hope or comfort for the sinner unless he seeks Christ with true/honest intentions and from a deep repentance and sorrow for sin. Scripture encourages us to seek the Saviour while He may be found, and to call on Him while He is near. Seek Him with a true heart and a honest spirit. Such seeking is not in vain. Those who seek Christ with a contrite heart will not die in their sins. He who really comes to Christ and embraces Him as Lord and Saviour shall never be cast out. Micah 7:18 says, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Let us seek the God who delights in mercy and pardons iniquity.

We also learn from the passage the great difference between Christ and the ungodly. Our Lord tells the unbelieving Jews that, “ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” The ungodly are full of this world; its cares, pleasures and delights fill his heart and soul. The Christian on the other hand is not of this world; their citizenship is in heaven. The Christian may be in this world but they are not of this world. They are merely strangers and pilgrims passing through on their way to their heavenly home.

The child of God will do well to never forget this fact. The Christian’s citizenship may cause him to be hated, mocked, rejected and despised by the world. Even though this may be our portion in this life may we never be ashamed to be called Christians. May we never be ashamed of the name of Christ. May we never be shy to nail our true colours to the mast and declare before the world that we belong to Christ.

We learn lastly, how awful and pitiful is the end of those who remain in their unbelief. Our Lord said, “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” They are greatly mistaken who suppose that it is harsh, unkind and unloving to speak of an eternal judgement and a hell to follow. Let us know in our hearts and minds this foundational truth of Holy Scripture, that there is such a place as hell. Just as there is a heaven for those who believe, there is also a hell for those who believe not. May we never be so unloving that we never speak of hell. It is the highest love to warn men and women plainly of the danger of their unbelieving state. May we encourage and plead with them to “flee from the wrath to come.” It was that great deceiver, Satan, who said to Eve in the Garden of Eden, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). May we never shy away from telling men and women that unless they believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour they will surely die in their sins and perish in an eternal judgment.

We should never forget that unbelief is the sin that ruins the soul. Without a knowledge of sin, sinners will not know why they need a Saviour. Lost souls need to know that they have sinned before God and thus need a Saviour to pardon them. If a sinner believes on Christ and takes Him as their own all sins will be forgiven. It is a fact that 10 in 10 die and will face God. On that day will you face Him as a believing sinner who has trusted in Christ, or will you face Him as an unbelieving sinner who trusted in the vain things of this world. The Saviour of sinners said, “He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

The Son Shall Set You Free (Verses 31-36)

We learn from the text that many professed to believe on our Lord and expressed a desire to be his disciples. However, there is nothing in the passage that indicates that their faith was more than superficial. These men seem to be like the seeds on the stoney ground that we read about in the Parable of the Sower; no depth to their faith. They appear to have expressed a temporary excitement. To them our Lord said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” What did our Lord mean by this? He meant that a test of true faith in Him is if a person continues to believe in the Gospel.

There is no ‘perfect’ Christian on earth today. Every child of God struggles with the flesh and the temptations of the heart. Salvation is not based on our works and good deeds, neither do we need to be ‘resaved’ as it were if we fall into sin or backslide for a time. Salvation is a one time event when a sinner believes on Christ for righteousness and forgiveness of sin. If there is a continual pattern of sin in the life of believer then repentance and seeking the Lord is needful. There is no such thing as a sinless Christian on earth today, but there is such a thing as a Christian who seeks to live a holy and righteous life before God.

There is a real danger in declaring that a soul has been saved at the moment that one merely expresses a faith in the Gospel. We do not know if that initial faith is genuine or not. Make no mistake about it. A person is saved at the moment they believe on Christ as Lord and Saviour. However, that will only be known to the person who has made the profession of faith and the Lord Himself. It is only when the real difficulties come that others will know if that faith is grounded in Christ or not. It is not beginning, but “continuing” a profession of Christ, that shows that there is evidence of true grace in the heart.  

We must not forget, to begin is one thing, and to go on is quite another. Continuing in the faith and striving after holiness is the only evidence of saving grace in the life of a believer. When we hear of a soul being converted we ought to pray for that person; that their faith is true and from a contrite heart. May we pray that the Lord will bless them and that they will grow in grace. Eternity will prove if their faith is sound.

There will be people in Heaven that we never thought would make it and there will be people not in Heaven that we expected to see. When we go to be with the Lord after our earthly life ends we will be surprised that some people are there while others are not.

We also learn from the passage the nature and bondage of slavery to sin. The Jewish leaders and people of Christ’s day were fond of boasting about their religious position and influence. The Roman Empire dominated their lives, so they were not politically free. Rome deprived them of many freedoms, but sin robbed them of much more. Our Lord points out to them that they were indeed under bondage. He tells them, “He that committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

There are scores of men and women who are in bondage today and they do not even know it. They are held captive by the cruel servant of sin. They owe a debt to God that they can never pay. They are under the grip of the flesh and the world. There are many that are held by the chains of money, passion, pride, pleasure, gambling, idolatry and a whole host of other vices of this fallen world. Sin truly is a cruel tyrant that blinds those under its control. Sin is like a credit card, enjoyment for a season, but soon the payment date will come. When the time comes the person who owes the debt finds that the repayment is far greater than they realised.

There is no slavery like sin. Sin is the hardest of all masters. Misery, despair and disappointments only lead to hell in the end. This is the wages that sin pays to its servants. To set men and women free from this bondage is the chief purpose of the Gospel. To awaken people to a sense of their bondage, to cause them to be free indeed in Christ is the great end of the Gospel message. Truly blessed is that person who has opened his eyes and understood the danger of his bondage to sin. To know that we by nature are in bondage to sin is the first step toward deliverance.

We learn lastly, the nature of true liberty. Our Lord said, “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” In the United Kingdom we know the blessing and privilege of living in a free society. We have religious liberty for the most part and we are free to do whatever we want within the boundaries of our legal system. However, this is not the type of freedom that our Lord is talking about. We may enjoy all the freedoms of this earthly realm and yet be in bondage. The highest liberty is that which belongs only to the child of God. Those only are free people whom the Son of God “makes free” by grace.

Those who the Son of God has made free are free indeed. They are freed from the guilt and consequences of sin by the blood of Christ. They are justified, pardoned, forgiven and set free. Happy is the man or woman who can say with a clear conscience, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55). Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

For those who have been made free by the Son of God sin no longer has dominion over them. They are renewed, converted, sanctified and are called by a new name; the name of Christ. Liberty like this is their portion forever, not even death itself can remove it. Those who Christ makes free are free for all eternity!

Let us never rest until we know within our own heart that this liberty is ours. May we not put off obtaining this kind of liberty. We must flee to the Saviour today, if we know not His liberty. Without it all other freedom is worthless. Free speech, free laws, political freedom, national freedom and any other freedom is nothing compared to the freedom from the bondage of sin. Christ freely gives freedom from sin’s bondage to all who seek it humbly and sincerely. Flee to the Saviour today and be free indeed.

You Are of Your Father The Devil (Verses 37-47)

There are things said by our Lord in this section that are particularly striking. We are taught that the natural man is ignorant proud and self-righteous. Here we find the Jewish leaders boasting, puffed up with their bold claim that as they are the natural heirs of Abraham and so have special relationship to God. They told the Lord Jesus, “Abraham is our father.” We find them going much deeper than this by claiming to be God’s unique people and to be in God’s own family; “We have one Father, even God.” They forgot that being Abraham’s descendants was useless, unless they shared Abraham’s grace and faith. God chose Abraham to be the father of the Jewish nation after the flesh and a spiritual father to the nation of Israel and to all who followed his faith. However, salvation is not given to Israel unless they walk in their father Abraham’s footsteps. In their spiritual blindness and conceit they refused to accept that they were no more a beneficiary of Abraham’s blessing than those who are not descended from Abraham’s seed. They boasted, “We are Jews”, “We are God’s children” and “We have Abraham” as though that excused them from their failures before God.

There are many Christian people who are like these Jews. Their whole religion rests on a few notions. They will tell you that “they regularly attend church meetings; they have been baptised; they go to the Lord’s table; they serve in positions of authority in the local church.” Yet when it comes to the essential doctrines of the Gospel and deeper spiritual matters they are totally ignorant. It is sad that this is a fact about some who sit among God’s people on Sundays.

Joining a good fellowship of local believers and associating ourselves with Christian people is no proof whatsoever that we ourselves are saved. We need something more than just being part of a local body of believers. We must be joined to Christ Himself by a living and active faith in the Gospel. Sure being part of a good fellowship of saints is a blessed thing, but it does not make us a Christian any more than attending a hospital makes one a doctor. A child of God is not saved by his membership or association with a local body of believers, but by his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone.

We are also taught the true marks of spiritual sonship. Our Lord said, “If ye were Abraham’s children ye would do the works of Abraham.” He also tells the Jews, “If God were your Father ye would love me.” No man is really a child of God who does not love Jesus Christ. Sonship to God and all its blessings, no one has who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. In his closing remarks to the assembly at Ephesus the Apostle Paul wrote, “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Ephesians 6:24). Where there is sincere love for Christ, there is sonship.

Lastly, we learn the reality and nature of the devil. Our Lord said to the unbelieving Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil.” These are stern, strong and shocking words from our Lord. It may appear on the surface that Christ is a little harsh on them. However, when we realise why Christ said such things we understand that these words are not harsh but very apt indeed. Christ describes the devil as a “murderer” from the beginning and the “father of lies.” The people that Christ said were of their father the devil were indeed walking in the path of falsehood and following after him. It is the desire and purpose of the devil to lie and deceive people into believing falsehoods. This is exactly what the unbelieving Jews were doing.

We have an invisible enemy always nearby. He never sleeps and will never leave us alone. He is a murderer, a liar, a deceiver, a cunning and wicked enemy. His aim is to ruin us for all eternity, to destroy us and to rob us of peace in Christ and eternal hope. He works minute by minute to bring us down and to lead as many souls as he can to spiritual death and to the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. He walks about like a lion seeking souls to destroy. He is working continually, trying to deceive us by misrepresenting God, just as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He is always telling us that good is evil and evil is good, truth is falsehood and falsehood is true. Alas, many are held captive by his deceit. He does not play fair. Lies are his chosen weapons.

Let us not be like the many who laugh, sneer, scoff and deny the existence of the one who seeks only to destroy and deceive. We should believe the Scriptures. They teach the reality of the devil. We must watch and pray and fight with all the might of Christ and with all the heavenly hosts against the wickedness, lies and deception of the devil and his demons. We should hold fast to the promises and blessings of Christ. Stand tall for truth and proclaim Christ as Lord, Saviour and Victor over the devil! The devil may be strong, but there is One much stronger, Christ Jesus. 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” He is the one who is praying for us and ensures that our faith will not fail. Let us commit our souls to Him. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).  

Before Abraham Was, I Am (Verses 48-59)

Observe firstly the blasphemous and scandalous language that was used against our Lord Jesus Christ. We read that the Jews accused Him of being a Samaritan and having a demon. By calling Jesus a Samaritan they were implying that he did not belong to the Jewish people. To call him a Samaritan was an insulting slur. There was mutual hostility between Jews and Samaritans which on ethnic, religious and political beliefs. There was a barrier between Jews and Samaritans. Not only did they label him a Samaritan but they attributed His mighty works to demonic power and influence. To lose one’s temper and resort to name calling is a sure sign of defeat. Insults, violent language and name-calling are favourite weapons of the devil.

Grievous indeed are the sufferings of God’s people attacked by the tongues of enemies. Their characters are often slandered and evil spoken of.  Evil report have been circulated about them. Lying lips are diligently at work against the saints of God. No wonder David called to God with the words, “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 102:2). Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Continuing this thought Proverbs 19:9 says, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” Psalm 34:13 instructs us to, “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”

The child of God ought to not be surprised to find that he has trials to endure in this life. Human nature never changes. If the Christian walks in accordance with the course of this world he will find that he is well spoken of. However, when a Christian is known by good deeds and holy living he will find his enemies speaking evil of him. Let us take comfort from the knowledge that we serve a Saviour who was also spoken evil of by the enemies of truth and righteousness. Whatever men may say about the saints of God their lies will do no harm in heaven. Let us bear patiently and not grow weary. When Christ was reviled he did not revile in return (1 Peter 2:23). May we be like Him.

We should also observe the great encouragement that Christ gives to those who believe in Him. Our Lord said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” It is clear that these words of Christ do not mean that a Christian will never physically die. We know that we must all die and go to the grave. What these words mean is this. The Christian will not taste of the second death; that final ruin in the lake of fire that is hell. Revelation 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” The Christian will have the victory over sin and death through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57). Victory belongs only to those who receive Christ into their hearts as Lord and Saviour, who obey the message that He brought from the Father to earth.

We should also observe from the passage the knowledge that Abraham had of Christ. We read that our Lord said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” When Christ said these words Abraham had been buried for at least 1850 years and yet Abraham is said to have seen our Lord’s day. What this means is that Abraham saw, by faith and believed that one day God would send a Saviour and Redeemer to Israel. The Jews responded to Christ with the words, “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” Fifty was the standard age of retirement. The implication is that Jesus is too young to have lived during the time of Abraham, so it would have been impossible for Abraham to have seen His day.

We should also take note of the words of Christ found in verse 58. Our Lord said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus combines both His pre-existence and His divinity. These are profound words, by them Jesus is saying that he existed long before He came into the world. He is saying that He existed before Abraham and that he is no mere man. The statement was clearly understood as a claim to divinity since they took up stones to throw at him (v59). The words of Jesus here echo the words of Exodus 3:14, “and God said unto Moses “I AM THAT I AM””. The Lord Jesus Christ is truly God in the flesh and our eternal life is secured in Him. Let us then learn to trust him and declare him to be Lord of lords and King of kings.