John 8 Verses 1-11 

John 8:1 “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 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. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, 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. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” 

“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.”  We are not informed here, just what it was that Jesus taught the people, but we do know that he “sat down” and taught the people.  Some seem to have the idea that it is somehow wrong for a preacher to sit down and teach the people from the scriptures, however, the greatest teacher of all time, sat down and taught the people.  Not all teaching is done in the form of a sermon. 

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.”  There is something that is strikingly missing from this scene.  Where is the man?  It is obvious that this was an attempt by the scribes and Pharisees to find something in which to accuse the Lord as we read further: “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.”  The scheming scribes and Pharisees thought that they had a sure case in which to accuse the Lord.  In their minds, if the Lord had said, “stone her,” then they could accuse him before the Roman authorities because the Jews had no authority under the Roman law to put someone to death.  If the Lord had said, “no, don’t stone her,” then they thought that they could accuse the Lord of breaking the law of Moses.  The Lord, however, is so much wiser than man.   

“But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.  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.  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.”  Some have asked and others have speculated as to what the Lord wrote on the ground.  When the Lord does not tell us then we should leave off the speculation and simply say that the Lord did not tell us.  By what the Lord said, the scribes and Pharisees had to realize that they too were worthy of death in that they too have sinned before God.   

“And they which heard it, 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.”  The conscience of each one accused them of being a sinner and caused them to realize that they had no right to cast a stone at the woman or make further accusations against her.   

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” The only one (Jesus) who had a right to accuse her, did not accuse her.  However, he admonished her to go and sin no more.   

John 8 Verses 12-20

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. 20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.”   

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  It is very plain as we contemplate the previous passages of scripture that there are two worlds under consideration.  There is the world of God’s elect who have been born of the Spirit of God and there is the world of those who have not been born of the Spirit of God.  The Pharisees, scribes, and the rulers who were plotting to kill Jesus were of that latter world.  But in contrast, Christ is the light of the world of his elect family.  When we follow Jesus we do not walk in darkness, but we have the light of his eternal life as he is the perfect example for us and his word has been given to us to guide us. 

“The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.”  The Pharisees in their hatred of Christ continue to try to find some cause to accuse him and put him to death.  However, the Lord has exceedingly more wisdom than they do. 

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”  One of the things that the scriptures tell us that God cannot do is to deny himself.  Christ did not deny that he bore record of himself, yet his record is true.  He knew that he came from God and was going back to God.  The Pharisees were blinded to these precious truths and therefore they could not tell from whence he came or to where he was going. 

“Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.  And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”  Jesus came not to judge, but to deliver his people in judgment by taking their sins upon himself and being made sin for them that he might in God’s judgment of their sins upon him deliver them from the eternal judgment of sin. 

“It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”  Here the Lord shows that there are two witnesses that what the Lord has done, is doing, and will yet do is being witnessed by two, i.e., the Father and the Son.  Thus, the law is fulfilled in that there are two witnesses and their testimony is true. 

“Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”  In this statement of our Lord we are led to realize that these unbelieving Pharisees did not know God, either the Father or the Son.  Thus, they were not capable of understanding the things of the Spirit of God.  Also, in contrast to the Pharisees we can conclude that anyone who knows the Son knows the Father also.  Likewise, anyone who knows the Father knows the Son also.   

“These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.”  The Pharisees, the scribes, and the rulers all wanted to lay hands upon Jesus but were unable to because his hour (the hour of his sacrificial atone for the sins of his people) had not come.  It was only at that time that he would allow anyone to lay hands on him.