John 8:3-11 NLT
[3] “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. [4] “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5] The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” [6] They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. [7] They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” [8] Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. [9] When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. [10] Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” [11] “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ———-

I think that this is one of the most powerful and beautiful stories in the New Testament. Despite the fact that it was not in the original Greek text, God designed it to be a part of His written Word.

This story speaks volumes about many things, an intricately woven tapestry of truth about God and people.

Picture the scene. A group of men, scribes and Pharisees, all clad in their ceremonial robes, complete with prayer shawls adorned with extra-long tassels, all dedicated to the study and practice of their religion, representatives of the God they claimed to worship…. triumphantly dragging a half-naked, guilty woman into the public eye. They dumped her down before Jesus for a verdict. (Was one of them wearing his robes over his street clothes…the man she was with in her sin…?)

For them, this was not a case for judgment to rid society of an evil doer. This was a test to snare Jesus into making a wrong judgment. These men might get her stoned but better still, they might get Jesus to act out of character for the sake of the Law they so vehemently defended. Then they could deal with Him legitimately according to God’s law.

Their challenge was noisy, demanding and insistent. “Come on, Jesus! What do you say!” (Implied…you say you have authority. What does your authority say? Your word or the Law of Moses?)

Jesus said nothing. His silence spoke volumes. Was He confused, undecided, wondering how to answer them? No, not at all!

They knew that He came down heavily on the side of compassion. What would He do in the face of so blatant an infringement of the Law ?

These men forgot or ignored one thing…Jesus was God’s Word incarnate, the Word of God in flesh and blood. So, the most natural thing for Him to do was to BE the word to them.

So, He bent down and wrote in the dust…

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be WRITTEN IN THE DUST because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

In the context of the story (John 7:37-38), Jesus had just offered “living water” to thirsty people, which the religious leaders had rejected. Instead, they sent soldiers to arrest Him.

They waited impatiently while He carefully traced His words in the dust. Then they melted away….

What caused these “witnesses” to slink away in shame and humiliation when Jesus wrote in the dust? What did He write? Their names! JESUS KNEW THEIR NAMES!

Case dismissed! Gone, the witnesses; gone, the accusers; gone, the trial! Jesus was free to forgive, and send her on her way clean, to start again.

These wily, conniving religious hypocrites could not dodge the truth. Jesus, was who He said He was, God Himself, the Son of God, boref deep into their rotten souls and called their bluff!

And the guilty sinner?…

Forgiven, set free from the guilt of her sin, sent home to begin again!

What was in the mind of woman, now a solitary figure lying in the dust at Jesus’ feet?

Never was she so close to death.
Never was she so close to forgiveness.
Never was she so close to a new life.
Never was she so close to real holiness.
Never was she so close to God.

Everything changed that day for her.

She came out filthy, exposed, and guilty… She went home forgiven, cleansed, and free.

As for her accusers, nothing changed!