Walking With Christ

John 8:7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”(ESV)

I wanted to do a quick follow-up on this specific verse from Friday. There is something here that should stick out to everyone who reads it.

I often hear this verse misquoted as “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. I’m glad that isn’t what it actually says. Jesus had to be very intentional with His wording on everything He ever said. How He said things could have an incredible impact on the commands He was giving. If He hadn’t said, “Lazarus, come out” and instead just said, “Come out” then every body that had ever died would rise again. No, Jesus had to be very intentional with His words.

In this case, He added “among you”.

He was without sin. He could have cast the first stone and had every justification and authority to do so. He would have been right to do so. He chose not to. He chose forgiveness in the moment and added the command to go and sin no more. Every single one of us could replace the woman caught in adultery. God does not draw any distinction between one sin and another. Simply, sin is sin. All sin must be punished. Jesus alone gives us another path. In this story, Jesus confirms His authority to judge sin and His prerogative to forgive it.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.(ESV)

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(ESV)