And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery: and when they had set her in the midst, (4) They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. (5) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? (6) This they said tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. (7) So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. (8) And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. (9) And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (10) When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? (11) She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
It is worthy remark, that these sworn foes of Christ did not bring the Adulterer as well as the Adulteress. Had their designs in coming to Jesus been purely from a regard to the sanctity of God's law, they would have been as anxious to punish the man, as the woman; for so the law enjoined. See Leviticus 22:10. But the object they had in view was not so much about the Adulteress, as to entangle the Lord Jesus in a snare. Had Christ commanded her to be stoned, they would have reproached him for acting contrary to the meekness of the Messiah; and thereby opposing his own doctrine in receiving Publicans and Harlots. And had he screened her from the law, they would have charged him with setting at nought the law of Moses. Deuteronomy 22:22-24. Dearest Lord! what an everlasting contradiction of sinners didst thou endure against thyself. Hebrews 12:3; Matthew 21:31-32
There is somewhat uncommonly interesting in this relation of our Lord's conduct towards this Adulteress. What a lovely portrait is it of the Son of God in our nature? Look at Jesus in this sweet point of view, pardoning the sinner, while reproving the sin. There was for a little space some question as to the authenticity of the history; it not being in all the copies of the Testament. And it was confidently said by such, that it was in none of the editions of the Syriac version. But Archbishop Usher, at no small expence and labor, procured a copy of it in which it was found. It hath exercised also the curiosity of some, to know what it was Jesus wrote with his finger on the ground, while the Pharisees were accusing the woman. And it hath been said, that in an ancient Greek manuscript, it was found, that Jesus wrote some of the leading sins of the Scribes and Pharisees then present; which of course, as God, he knew. But this is mere conjecture. But as the Holy Ghost is silent upon the subject, it becomes us to be the same. It is enough for the Church to be in possession of so very sweet a testimony, of the mercifulness of Him, who is the judge of quick and dead. And I venture to believe, that no child of God, who hath himself passed under the sentence of God's holy law, and, from self-condemnation, hath been led by the Holy Ghost, to know the grace of Jesus; but must feel delight in so lovely a representation of Jesus, in the exercise of it.
I hope that I shall be forgiven, even if I err, when I venture to behold this woman as a lively emblem and figure of the Church, in the Lord's pardon of her. For surely there never was an Adulteress equally vile in baseness to the Church. Many have departed from their husbands, and dealt shamefully: But what adultery ever came up to the spiritual fornication of the Church? Read the Bible through, and hear the Lord's complaints. See particularly Jeremiah 2:1; Hosea 2:1 and Hosea 3:1. And then observe how graciously the Lord hath dealt, and doth deal, with his people. Jeremiah 3:1; John 5:14.