A Fresh Start

Posted by Dion Todd July 5th, 2024 1,410 Views 30 Comments

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." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 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?" She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more." John 8:7–11 WEB.

One day while Jesus was teaching in the temple, there was a commotion. The Scribes and Pharisees dragged in a woman who had been found in the very act of adultery. Obviously, she was set up because that sin usually takes two people. Yet, the man they had caught her with was missing that day. They dragged her in front of the crowd, then asked Jesus to judge her and tell them what they should do. They reminded Him that the law of Moses said they should stone her.

The religious leaders knew that Jesus was gentle, loving, graceful, and merciful. They wanted to trap Him in His words so they could accuse Him of breaking the law. If He said, "Let her go," then He would be breaking the law of Moses. If He said, "Stone her," He would be breaking the Romans' law, for they had taken away the right of Jews to execute people for religious offenses. They tried to create a no-win scenario for Jesus.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground. It doesn't tell us what He wrote. It may have been names and sins, or possibly a scripture like this one:

You shall not spread a false report. Don't join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice. Exodus 23:1-2 WEB.

Then He stood up and said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." They all left, from the oldest to the youngest, until Jesus and the woman were alone.

Basically, everyone present was guilty of sin except Jesus. The whole trial would just be one sinner stoning another. John said that if we claim that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Jesus did not condemn her for her past, but instead, He told her to go and sin no more.

People will look down on you, but the Lord Jesus Christ does not. If you have a checkered past, just keep it in the past. Start today fresh, forgiven, and from this day forth, walk with Jesus. Don't point fingers at the sin of others. We each have enough of our own to worry about. Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Without His grace, we are all lost.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your grace and mercy. I pray that You fulfill Your will in my life and lead me into all You have for me. Please open the doors that I should go through and close the doors that I should stay out of. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” (Philippians 4:6-7) ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network