"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!” John 8:7 (NLT)
I can picture the vindictiveness and hatred in their eyes. They were certainly out for blood and not just the blood of a woman caught in adultery but the blood of a man they eventually would get. Seeking to entrap him ever so subtly they sprung a trap bringing at the feet of Jesus a woman who had just been caught up in adultery... a sin that according to the law required a stoning.
Bringing her to the feet of Jesus these men figured they had a slam dunk. There were throngs of witnesses who could testify to her guilt and they were armed and ready for the kill, until of course, Jesus changed their plans.
From the outside looking in you could almost see that Jesus didn't care much for this kangaroo court system and tried not pay it any mind. But eventually "they kept demanding an answer," and set themselves up for something they were wholly unprepared for. In so many words the hatred and vitriol the crowd spewed out morphed into conviction and silence. They cast aside their stones and went back home for they couldn't match wits with the Word of God. His grace and mercy prevailed once again. May we learn not get caught up in the hatred of the crowd, but rise above understanding that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
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