Meet Jesus

The Woman They Wanted to Stone: When You Feel Condemned

They dragged her into the open, caught in the act, and set stones in their hands. It was a trap, meant to force Jesus to condemn her. Instead he knelt, wrote in the dust, and said the accusers who had no sin could throw first. One by one they left. Then he alone, the only one with the right to condemn her, said he would not.

If this is you

If you are carrying something you are sure would end every good opinion of you, if you already hear the verdict against yourself in your own head, then you know how this woman felt standing in that circle. The stones were real. And Jesus stood between her and every one of them.

The story

The religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery and stood her before the crowd. The law, they said, commanded she be stoned. What did Jesus say? He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they kept pressing him, he stood up.

What this shows about Jesus

Jesus did not pretend the sin was nothing. He said, go and sin no more. But he refused to let her be defined by the worst moment of her life, and he was the one person present who could have condemned her and chose not to. He does not excuse. He forgives, and then he frees. That is a very different thing from what the crowd offered.

Frequently asked questions

What is the story of the woman caught in adultery?

In John 8, religious leaders bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, demanding she be stoned. Jesus says the one without sin should throw the first stone. Her accusers leave, and Jesus tells her he does not condemn her and to sin no more.

Did Jesus forgive the woman caught in adultery?

Yes. He said, 'Neither do I condemn thee' (John 8:11). He did not deny the sin, but he refused to condemn her and told her to go and leave that life. Mercy and truth stood together.

What does this story mean if I feel condemned?

It means the one person with every right to judge you offers mercy instead. Jesus meets the condemned without excusing sin and without crushing the sinner. You can read the whole scene in John chapter 8.