Every Woman's Bible Journaling Edition, Filament Enabled - Book - Page 30
JOHN 8
1332
Jesus Promises Living Water
A Woman Caught in Adultery
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus
stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is
thirsty may come to me! 38Anyone who believes in
me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare,
‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”*
39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of
the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,*
because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
8
37
Division and Unbelief
40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of
them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet
we’ve been expecting.”* 41 Others said, “He is the
Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the
Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures
clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the
royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where
King David was born.”* 43 So the crowd was divided
about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but
no one laid a hand on him.
45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees
demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “We have never heard anyone speak like this!”
the guards responded.
47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees
mocked. 48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s
curse is on them!”
50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with
Jesus earlier, spoke up. 51 “Is it legal to convict a man
before he is given a hearing?” he asked.
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search
the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet
ever comes* from Galilee!”
[The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include
John 7:53–8:11.]
Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went
home.
53
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but
early the next morning he was back again at the
Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and
taught them. 3As 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.”
Jesus, the Light of the World
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I
am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t
have to walk in darkness, because you will have the
light that leads to life.”
13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those
claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even
though I make them about myself. For I know where
I came from and where I am going, but you don’t
know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16And if I did, my
judgment would be correct in every respect because
I am not alone. The Father* who sent me is with me.
17 Your own law says that if two people agree about
12
7:37-38 Or “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from
the heart of anyone who believes in me.’” 7:39 Several early manuscripts read But as yet there was no Spirit. Still others read
But as yet there was no Holy Spirit. 7:40 See Deut 18:15, 18; Mal 4:5-6. 7:42 See Mic 5:2. 7:52 Some manuscripts read the
prophet does not come. 8:16 Some manuscripts read The One.
7:53–8:11 Jesus’ conduct toward the woman caught in adultery sharply contrasts with the religious leaders’ treatment.
He didn’t condemn the woman, but he didn’t deny her sin or
neglect her need for repentance. Although her adultery was
wrong, Jesus was merciful toward a woman who was being
exploited by the religious leaders.
8:5 Trying to trap Jesus, the woman’s accusers stated that the
law said she should be stoned, indicating that she was engaged
or married (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:23-24). Unmarried
women who were raped or who had sex were not executed. The
law cited by these religious leaders also stated that the woman’s
lover should be killed with her, but they apparently ignored
the man’s participation and chose to blame only the woman.
These men could have dealt with her privately and kept her from
public shame, which is likely what they would have done under
normal circumstances, but their goal was to trap Jesus.
