An incident in the life of Jesus has ramifications for us today. It involved Jesus teaching a crowd in the Temple when some religious teachers brought Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Jeremiah writes that “the thief is ashamed when he is found out” (Jer. 2:26) so think how ashamed this woman must have felt.
The religious leaders wanted to know if Jesus would have her stoned, which was the punishment for adultery under the Law. Jesus knew it was a trap and wrote in the dust on the ground with his finger. The accusers kept pushing for Jesus to act so He finally stood up and said that the one who has never sinned should throw the first stone. One by one the accusers slipped away, starting with the eldest.
Finally only Jesus was left with the woman. Jesus, the sinless man, asked where her accusers were and she said there were none. Jesus said that He didn’t accuse her either and told her to go and sin no more (John 8).
Do you know why this incident is so compelling? It’s because we are all sinners who deserve to be stoned. Jesus, the only one without sin, took all of our sins so that we won’t ever have to suffer the punishment for our sins. “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).
Jesus doesn’t accuse you for your sins. When you come to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you, He does. Totally. Absolutely. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:12).
That’s good news. That’s the “gospel”. That’s the reason followers of Jesus can live life abundantly and wait joyfully to spend their lives in eternity with the most loving God who promises us: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
And that time is coming soon. Very soon.
* All quotes from NKJV