Jesus said…nothing, but what He did not say spoke volumes. Sometimes Jesus didn’t need to say anything. He allowed His actions to speak for Him.

Here is an excellent example.

John 8:3-6 NIV
[3] “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group [4] and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5] In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” [6] They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.”

Why did Jesus let His finger speak for Him?

Many are the interpretations of His action, most speculation but few with understanding.

Jesus knew that His audience of religious leaders would recognise, immediately, what He meant because, as men thoroughly familiar with every word of the Tanach which they could recite by heart, they knew that He was quoting from Jeremiah 17:13.

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.”

Jesus had just offered His people the “living water” of the Spirit to which the high priest’s action pointed. To complete the Festival of Tabernacles, the high priest performed the ritual of pouring water on the ground. Jesus cried out, in response,

John 7:37-39 NIV
[37] “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

The “water” He offered would not disappear into the dry ground as did the water poured out by the high priest. Instead, the “water” He offered would continue to flow and quench the thirst of anyone who drank it.

The Pharisees has so repudiated His words that they had sent soldiers to arrest Him. The soldiers returned empty-handed, to the wrath of the religious leaders.

John 7:45-48 NIV
[45] “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. [47] “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. [48] “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?”

On the strength of the rejection of the religious leaders, Jesus wrote His indictment in the dust. What did He write? He wrote their names! His prophetic action meant that, since they had rejected Yahweh, the fountain of living water, they would be obliterated from the earth, like their names written in the dust.

His second indictment! How did He know their names? Only He, the Son of God, could know their names without ever being introduced!

Isaiah 43:1 NLT
[1]”But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

Jesus knew much more than Jack, John, or James. He knew them, deep in their wicked hearts. So convicted were they when they realised what He was doing that they slunk away in disgrace without another word.

John 8:7-9 NLT
[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.”

Case dismissed! Not only had Jesus exposed their hypocrisy once again but He had also driven away the woman’s accusers. He was free to forgive, to show mercy, and to send her away a new person.