What a beautiful dialogue Jesus has with scribes and Pharisees here in John chapter 8. They are often referred to as "the Jews", almost derogatorily.
You are free…sin no more!
The chapter begins with “the Jews” (scribes and Pharisees) bringing a woman to Jesus who had been caught in the very act of adultery. It was a set-up. The scribes and Pharisees probably already knew this woman and what she “did”. It is not good for me to speculate but, do we think this is the first time an occasion with this woman came up? They conveniently “caught” this woman in an act of adultery and confronted Jesus to trap him. The Law of Moses, of course, commanded that she should be stoned. They said to Jesus… “What do You say?”.
There are several devious things going on here. First of all, Jesus was the very God of judgment…and mercy…bear that in mind. The Jews were trying to trip Him up. If He condemned her, then they would be able to say, “Where is Your mercy, where is Your love…You are no savior.” If He disagreed with her condemnation then He would be going against the Law and be accused of heresy. They wanted to bring accusation of Him to the Romans by which they could put Him to death…and they could have, had Jesus let her go. In John 18:31 the Jews admit to not being able to put anyone to death (under Roman rule). They needed the Romans to do this for them.
Jesus ignored them for a moment. So they continued asking Him. They dug their own hole deeper. Finally Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” John 8:7. The conviction which His words brought down on them was too much for their conscience to bear, and they left. Jesus turned to the woman and said...
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more” John 8:11
You are FREE…sin no more.
FREE: Eleutheroo (el-yoo-ther-o'-o)
Strong's 1659: to make free; set at liberty: from the dominion of sin;
Strong's 1658: freeborn: in a civil sense, one who is not a slave; of one who ceases to be a slave, freed, free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation;
in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law. (Interlinear)
Romans 6:18 says, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness”.
We were servants (slaves) of sin, not having any power to keep from sinning because we were in bondage to its “impulses” which reigned in our bodies. We were under the power of sin and we obeyed it in the lust of it - “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness” Rom.6:20.
Let us realize now the distinction of what we were... slaves then of (sin), and what we are... servants now of…righteousness -
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” Rom. 6:18.
Furthermore, we have now all power to be righteous and do righteousness. Let us prayerfully meditate on that for a while…or longer, until we experientially believe it.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin” Rom.6:6-7. You are free…sin no more!
Jesus Himself says, “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32.
He declares that the Truth would set free, and that if (He) the Son (who is the Truth) shall make you free, you will be free indeed. The truth sets us free:
from condemnation before God,The truth of the work that Jesus would accomplish, after the Son of Man would be “lifted up” …and by the power of His resurrection, would set us free. “…when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” Eph.4:8.
from the condemnation of the law,
from the exile of our banishment;
from the bondage of sin;
from the power of death;
to be able to accomplish the will of God;
sets us free to love.
His resurrection declared it. The very power of captivity over men was led away a captive himself by the righteous work of Christ. So now, for the Christian, there is no power but God’s in our life. The power of the Almighty by His Holy Spirit in our lives to keep us in fellowship with Him, in union with Christ. WHY …WHY would we ever again give occasion for sin in our life? Because we are still in this body of death. But remember constantly, we are free to give ourselves to God.
The Pharisees are persistently after Jesus to try and entrap Him. In fact, He says plainly to them in verse 37 “…but you seek to kill me, because My word has no place in you”. He speaks to them in pure truth, about God, the law, judgment, Himself, the truth, sins, death, the devil… the whole scope, as it were, of their religion and their God… to the very religious leaders of Israel, and yet He must say to them, “But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth which I have heard of God” John 8:40.
We know they were blinded and deaf to the truth… “Why do you not understand my speech? Because you can not hear My word” John 8:43.
J.N. Darby says… [They rail upon Him because of His words; and by their opposition the Lord is induced to explain Himself more clearly; until, having declared that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and the Jews applying this to His age as man, He announces positively that He is the One who calls Himself I Am-the supreme name of God, that He is God Himself-He whom they pretended to know as having revealed Himself in the bush. Wondrous revelation! A despised, rejected man, despised and rejected by men, contradicted, ill-treated, yet it was God Himself who was there. What a fact! What a total change! What a revelation to those who acknowledged Him, or who know Him! What a condition is theirs who have rejected Him, and that because their hearts were opposed to all that He was, for He did not fail to manifest Himself.]
Jesus, in His great intercessory prayer, says “Sanctify them through your truth; your word is truth” John 17:17.
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