John 8:1-12 (NLT)
1 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.
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.’
12 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.'”
Philippians 3:12
“I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.”
Hebrews 12:1
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Psalms 118:5
“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.”
Acts 16:25-26
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”
John 8:1-12 NLT
A Woman Caught in Adultery
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.
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. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
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. 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!”
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 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.
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “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.”
This woman was singled out and brought before Jesus amongst others. I can picture this woman with her head held very low in shame and embarrassment.
The Pharisees could not condemn her, and Jesus did not want to. This woman made a mess of herself, made a messy situation. She was a disgrace.
Disgrace means loss of reputation, loss of respect, or dishonorable action (loss of character). Jesus told her to go and sin no more. He didn’t bring up her messy action, mistake, or what kind of character she had. He didn’t want her to carry this burden with her but instead gave her the action of leaving it behind her.
As I read this story, I can see this woman. I can feel her cry. She is at her lowest point in life. She has her head in the dirt, in the sand. She is at the feet of Jesus with embarrassment on her neck.
Don’t you know she wanted this situation to go away? Don’t you know she was tormented in her mind? I can see her seeing no point of rescue. I can see her thinking this is her last breath, at the point of no return. Remember, your past situation and your present situation of mistakes are not your identity.
Jesus is your identity when you walk in His light. Everyone makes mistakes or has burdens that weigh heavily on their minds. If the devil can keep you distracted by what you messed up, he will keep you from running the race that God intended for you.
The devil starts at you while you are young, trying to tell you it’s your fault. It’s not your fault. Someone hurt you; you were going to run your race, but you picked up that burden of offense. You picked up the offense of divorce; you picked up the burden of hate (they hurt your feelings, and you quit).
God has called you to run, but the mind game of the mistake or mishap, broken dreams—all this killed your run for God. Some things you have kept to yourself in your mind that you battle, only God knows. But remember, you are forgiven, and the blood of Jesus has washed you!
Nothing is more powerful than the blood of Jesus! I know how the devil works on your mind with past mistakes, past regrets, and past public embarrassment of things we have done wrong. But Jesus is telling you, “Get up and go and sin no more.
Think about it no more. Release that burden that is weighing heavy on your mind.” You have limited yourself due to being stuck in the past when God intended you to run the race.
Get out of your head and quit being stuck in your ministry and your calling, always saying, “God can’t use me for what I have done.” Know this, that He will use you for the greatest testimony known to man.
I have told God at my altar, “You can’t fix this.” I was at my lowest point, but the need for freedom brought me to the feet of Jesus. God can fix all.
The shame and the silence of being alone brought me to the One that drew a line in the sand and turned my very being in silence for deliverance to freedom! Rejection, unresolved issues—let it all go and preach the gospel and run your race.
Don’t let anyone hold you back from your race, your preaching, your teaching, your witness, but walk in the light of Jesus.
I can hear this woman say, “Free my mind, free my own desire, free me from disgrace.” Philippians 3:12 tells us to press on—press on past our mistakes, get up and go and sin no more.
The only way to freedom sometimes is letting go—letting go of self, letting go of the time you spend in self daily, letting go of people, letting go of your own will for your future, letting go of a job that holds you back. God can’t completely flow through you if you don’t let it go. Don’t stop the oil from flowing; let it go.
Unforgiveness is poison—let it go. Rejection hurts, but let it go. Remember, the devil can’t stop you from being chosen or called; all he can do is throw burdens and past regret your way, but all is washed away by the blood of Jesus—nothing more powerful than the blood of Jesus.
Remember what Paul said in Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Let it go; it is not worth it.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” I know it’s a battle because you start hearing the wrong voices, but remember John 8:36: “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” You will have true peace of mind. 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” We have to live in the Spirit and walk with Him to be in liberty.
I know life gets hard, and you feel no way out and no point of return. You feel as though everyone is talking about you, you feel as though you are in distress, but remember Psalms 118:5: “In distress the Lord will set you free.”
This woman was in distress, and her freedom happened in the silence because her accusers walked away. The waiting point of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees (the ones that were trying to trip up Jesus with his response) made this woman’s freedom in the silence.
Sounds of freedom can come by silence, a shaking, or pain. This woman was in distress, and her freedom happened in the silence.
Sound of freedom can come by a shaking. Acts 16:25-26: “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” Paul and Silas’ very foundation was shaken, their foundation shifted.
Remember, God can cause ground-breaking situations in your life to turn you in any direction He needs you to be in and turn your situation around. He is only doing it for your good! Doors flew open for Paul and Silas—regardless if doors are open or shut, it is still the sound of freedom. Chains fell, and chains will fall off you as well.
Sound of freedom by pain. The pain you experience is only a step away from your freedom. Jesus endured all the pain so we can have freedom—the pain of the physical body (beaten to the point of being unrecognized—that’s our Savior), the pain of the mind that He endured so we could get freedom from the voices, the pain of the heart. Can you imagine the hurt He felt and the rejection He felt?
Jesus covered all areas for your freedom. His pain equaled our freedom. Trust in God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit to review, renew, and restore any part of our being.
It’s not why we fall, how we fall, or what caused the fall—it’s about the getting up and going for Jesus! Get up and go from what has held you back for a long time. Don’t worry about the Pharisees or the ones that want to put you in the spotlight when you make mistakes. Let it go and have no more control over you.
Always remember nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. I know what it’s like to be thrown down and looked at as if I had no worth. But I heard the sound of freedom, and I hear it for you also.
The sound you hear in your heart is the sound of God sending His Spirit to cancel it all out. Cancel your sin, your shame, your thoughts. Jesus is here calling you to come to be saved. He wants you. He can change your very situation. Jesus is drawing a line in the sand for you, so come.