요한복음 Chapter 8

Translation: ESV

3

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst

Key Message

Jesus is wise, holding together both law and grace, neither condemning nor leaving the person to sin.

▸The story of the woman caught in adultery (7:53–8:11) is absent from some early manuscripts, but it is a genuine tradition consistent with Jesus' character.

The story of the woman caught in adultery (7:53–8:11) is absent from some early manuscripts, but it is a genuine tradition consistent with Jesus' character. The expression that the woman 'had been caught in adultery' means she was caught in the act, in which case the man should also have been caught (Lev. 20:10). The fact that only the woman was brought without the man shows that this situation was already a trap. The woman was used as a tool for a legal debate.

Related Verses

If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
7

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.'

Key Message

Jesus' saying 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone' is a mirror that causes every condemner to confront their own sinfulness.

▸Jesus' answer is perfectly wise.

11

She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'

Key Message

Jesus' grace removes condemnation while still requiring transformation; this is the essence of the gospel that surpasses both legalism and licentiousness.

▸Jesus' two declarations achieve perfect balance.

12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

Key Message

Jesus is the light that illuminates the world; those who follow him walk not in darkness but in the light of life.

▸This is the second 'I am (egō eimi)' declaration in John's Gospel.

32

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Key Message

True freedom is liberation from sin that comes when one knows Jesus, who is the truth, and abides in his word.

▸This verse is often quoted on its own, but context is important.

58

Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'

Key Message

The declaration 'I am' is the most direct divine claim, proclaiming that Jesus is the I AM (Yahweh), the self-existent one.

▸This is the most startling 'I am (egō eimi)' declaration in John's Gospel.