Adulteress Faces Condemnation?

In John 8:1-11, I'm sure a lot of you out there have read or at the very least heard about this story. It was about the woman who was brought to Jesus on charges of adultery. The pharisees wanted to trick Jesus by asking Him if they should stone her for her sin. Just so we've got it right, here's the passage again from BibleGateway.com

John 8

1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Often we see ourselves on the receiving end of this passage, helping us to remember that we should not judge others if we do not want to be judged but the message in church today gave the perspective of the adulteress.

The speaker said, "Wonder how we would feel if we were charged like that in front of all those people? Where would we put our face?" He often brought up those questions. We'd die of shame if we were put in the spotlight like that, I can only imagine she must have felt that way too.

The speaker also mentioned that we wouldn't stand a chance if God kept a record of our wrongs. Specially with God's standards, where our thoughts alone, if sinful are already sins by themselves even if we don't act them out. Now that is difficult

But Jesus shows a love that does not condemn. We are so blessed. Jesus doesn't want us to obey him and to abstain from sin because we're terrified of punishment, Jesus wants us to obey and be sinless because we love Him and are grateful for His forgiveness. I hope to learn that lesson Lord.