n our second meditation on FREEDOM this week, we turn again to John chapter 8. At the beginning of the chapter we meet a woman who is far from free. She has been caught in the act of adultery and brought by Jewish leaders to appear before Jesus in the Temple. She stood condemned as one who had broken God’s law. The leaders were not interested in this fact; they were ‘using’ her to test Jesus – would He uphold God’s Law or not?

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy:

Firstly, He stooped down and wrote with His finger on the ground, thereby declaring that He wrote the Law they were quoting at Him! The Old Testament declares that the Law was written ‘with the finger of God’, Exodus chapter 31 verse 18.

Secondly, He said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’, John chapter 8 verse 7. We love pointing out the sins of others but reluctant to acknowledge that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (including ourselves), Romans chapter 3 verse 23.

The religious leaders were defeated and, ‘being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one’, verse 9. Sadly, none remained to hear the words of the Lord Jesus to the woman: ‘Has no one condemned you? . . . Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’, verse 11. Her accusers departed, still in the bondage of sin; however, she went away knowing that ‘if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed’, verse 36.

We should be grateful that we live in the day of God’s grace, rather than law. Grace saves but the Law condemns! Paul writes, ‘But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed . . . even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe’, Romans chapter 3 verse 23.