Today’s Reading: John 8
Let’s keep in mind that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders knew who Jesus’ mother was when we consider what they did next. They probably knew she was found to be with child before she was married to Joseph. John tells us that these teachers of the law were trying to trap Jesus when they brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They were waiting to see if Jesus would be faithful to the law of Moses, which demanded she be stoned.
…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 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.” – John 8:6-12
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WALK IN DARKNESS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE LIGHT THAT LEADS TO LIFE.
We continue today to judge one another by where we came from, who our parents are and by the sins of our past. The enemy wants to define us by these things so that he can convince us that we belong to the sinful world and not to our Heavenly Father. If he can convince us of this, it is easier for him to convince us that sinning is simply a part of who we are and where we came from.
But Jesus says – I know who you are and what you have done. Go and sin no more. You don’t have to continue to walk in darkness if you follow me, for I am the light of the world. If you will walk in my light, you will truly experience life; if you follow my teachings, you will experience true freedom.
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” – John 8:31-32,34-36
YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.
Freedom from whom the world wants us to be, freedom from whom others define us to be, and freedom from our past mistakes and sins.
In anger, the people asked Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” They also asked him where his father was and then made the statement, “We are not illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father” (8:53,19,41). Oh yes, they knew what they were doing when they brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. What they didn’t know is who Jesus truly was and to whom he truly belonged.
When others try to define you by where you came from, or try to condemn you with what is in your past, remember who you truly are. You are a child of God, forgiven and set free from sin. When the enemy tries to pull you back into a life of sin, remember who you truly are. You are no longer a slave to sin but a part of God’s family forever. You have been set free from the past, free from sin and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.