Scripture Union Discovery 11th March 2025 Devotional Message for Tuesday
TOPIC: Trapped
Opening Prayer
Father, you are faithful in your promises to help, to deliver, to bless me. Help me to stand in those promises today.
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Read JOHN 8:1–11
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They 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. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At 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. 10 Jesus 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.”
Reflect
One day we will stand before God, Judge of all. How we approach that day depends on how well we know our Judge.
The Jewish teachers had devised a cunning plan to trap Jesus: would Jesus—who had a history of breaking the finer points of Sabbath regulations (see John 5:8)—uphold the law of Moses regarding sexual immorality? If he upheld Jewish law by permitting stoning, then he would be breaking Roman law since Jews had no legal right under Rome to exact the death penalty (see John 18:31).
Either way, he would be breaking the law. Jesus’ response is brilliant. He does not minimize the seriousness of sexual sin. He upholds the law of Moses and in the same breath he proves that the crowd is also trapped in sin.
The woman, trapped by the Jewish leaders (v. 3) and by her own sin (v. 4), stands before her Judge: the only one who could legitimately throw a stone (see John 5:22). She had no idea that the mercy he offered her came at a great cost. Jesus’ blood would be shed for her sin, just as it was shed for ours. What he offered the woman (v. 11) is what he offers each of us: mercy and new life free from the law of sin and death (see Romans 8:1, 2).
Apply
Praise Jesus for his perfect justice and his breathtakingly beautiful mercy.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, the longer I walk with you, the more I understand how great is your love for me. Help me to continue knowing you better, to trust and rest in you in greater and greater measure.
Scripture Union Discovery 11th March 2025 Devotional © 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved
