Exposing Hypocrisy — June 2 [Description]Overview of John 8:1-11:In this passage, the Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, attempting to trap Him with a legal and moral dilemma. According to the Law of Moses, she should be stoned, but if Jesus agrees, He risks contradicting His message of grace. Instead, Jesus bends down and begins writing the sins of the accusers in the dust on the ground, then says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one, the accusers walk away. Jesus, left alone with the woman, tells her He does not condemn her and urges her to “go and sin no more.”This story reveals Jesus’ wisdom, compassion, and authority. He neither excuses sin nor joins in public condemnation. Instead, He exposes hypocrisy and offers both justice and mercy—making it one of the most powerful demonstrations of grace in Scripture.Overview of the Passage:This powerful scene tells the story of a woman caught in adultery, brought before Jesus by religious leaders hoping to trap Him. Their goal was not justice, but to discredit Jesus—forcing Him to choose between breaking Jewish law or Roman law. Instead, Jesus turns the tables by exposing their own guilt, writing in the dust their secret sins. One by one, they walk away, convicted and ashamed.Left alone with the woman, Jesus doesn’t condemn her but offers grace and a call to transformation: “Go, and sin no more.” Her encounter with Christ becomes the turning point of her life, marking the beginning of a new journey of purity, devotion, and purpose. The passage highlights the heart of the gospel—Jesus’ ability to forgive, restore, and elevate the fallen, contrasting the hypocrisy of man with the mercy of God. 365D 153

Bible discovery 365D 153

John 8:1-11 365D 153.1

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 365D 153.2

2 Now ^{[a]M very early} early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 365D 153.3

3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 365D 153.4

4 they said to Him, “Teacher, ^{[b]M we found this woman} this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 365D 153.5

5 Now ^{[c]M in our law Moses commanded} Moses, in the law, commanded us ^{[d]NU, M to stone such} that such should be stoned. But what do You ^{[e]M adds about her} say?” 365D 153.6

6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, ^{[f]NU, M omit as though He did not hear} as though He did not hear. 365D 153.7

7 So when they continued asking Him, He ^{[g]M He looked up} raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 365D 153.8

8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 365D 153.9

9 Then those who heard it, being ^{[h]NU, M omit being convicted by their conscience} convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 365D 153.10

10 When Jesus had raised Himself up ^{[i]NU omits and saw no one but the woman; M He saw her and said,} and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers ^{[j]NU, M omit of yours} of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 365D 153.11

11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go ^{[k]NU, M add from now on} and sin no more.” 365D 153.12

Spirit of Prophecy Reading 365D 153

The Desire of Ages pp.460.4-462: 365D 153.13

The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,” had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins. 365D 153.14

This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy. 365D 153.15

In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, “Go, and sin no more.” 365D 153.16

It is not Christ’s follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who are forward in accusing others, and zealous in bringing them to justice, are often in their own lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein. 365D 153.17