How does John 8:10 connect with Matthew 7:1-5 on judging others? Setting the Scene • John 8:10 drops us into the tense courtyard where a woman caught in adultery stands alone before Jesus. • Matthew 7:1-5 takes us up a hillside where Jesus warns listeners about hypocritical judging. • Same Teacher, same heart, two situations—one lived out, one taught in principle. The Texts Side by Side John 8:10: “Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?’” Matthew 7:1-5 (BSB – excerpt): “Do not judge, or you will be judged… For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged… First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Judgment Exposed in the Temple Court • The scribes and Pharisees arrive eager to condemn. • When Jesus says, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (v. 7), every man’s “beam” is revealed. • One by one they depart, embodying Matthew 7:1-3—they cannot judge without facing the same standard. Jesus, the One Qualified to Judge • Unlike the crowd, Jesus has no beam; He is sinless (Hebrews 4:15). • Yet His first move is mercy: “Neither do I condemn you” (v. 11). • He still calls for righteousness: “Go and sin no more.” Mercy and holiness walk together (James 2:13). How John 8 Illustrates Matthew 7 1. Measuring Stick Returned – Accusers measure the woman by the Law; Jesus turns the measure back on them (“with the measure you use…”). 2. Beam Before Speck – Their own hidden sin (beam) disqualifies them from stone-throwing at her (speck). 3. Restoration, Not Ruin – After self-examination, no one is left to destroy her; instead she hears a path to restoration. Practical Take-Aways • Examine yourself first. Honest self-assessment stops self-righteous condemnation. • Approach others with humility. Remember the same grace you need. • Offer both truth and mercy. Call sin what it is, yet point to the Savior who forgives and empowers change. Related Passages to Reinforce the Lesson • Romans 2:1-4—Paul echoes Jesus: judging another while practicing the same things brings God’s judgment. • Galatians 6:1—“Restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” • James 4:11-12—There is one Lawgiver and Judge; we are not Him. In Summary John 8:10 shows the courtroom scene that Matthew 7:1-5 describes in principle. When we stand before people, stones in hand, Jesus asks us to check our own hearts first. Only after the beam is removed can we help a brother or sister see clearly—and even then, we do it with the same compassionate voice that said, “Neither do I condemn you… go and sin no more.” |
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