Why was the woman caught in adultery brought to Jesus according to John 8:5? Canonical Text and Immediate Question John 8:4–5: “and said, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?’ ” The Mosaic Legal Framework Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 prescribe death by stoning for both parties caught in adultery. Deuteronomy 17:6–7 requires at least two eyewitnesses and obliges those witnesses to cast the first stones. The scribes and Pharisees invoke this statute to appear zealous for Torah fidelity while simultaneously attempting to trap Jesus. Stated Motive: A Legal Test John 8:6 explicitly reveals intent: “They said this to test Him, so that they might have grounds to accuse Him.” Had Jesus rejected the Mosaic penalty, they could charge Him with antinomianism; had He affirmed it and authorized execution, they could accuse Him before Rome for usurping capital jurisdiction (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 20.9.1, noting Rome’s restriction on Jewish capital cases). Underlying Motive: Discrediting Divine Authority Throughout John’s Gospel the religious leaders contest Christ’s authority (John 5:18; 7:32). Presenting the woman in public court in the Temple courts (John 8:2) weaponizes the Law to undermine the legitimacy of the incarnate Lawgiver (John 1:17). Selective Prosecution and Gender Bias Only the woman is produced though Mosaic Law demands equal judgment on the male participant. The omission underscores the leaders’ duplicity and further signals their aim is not justice but entrapment. Contemporary Mishnah (m. Sotah 1–6) records detailed adulterous trials involving both parties, highlighting the abnormality of bringing only one defendant. Legal Setting Confirmed Archaeologically Excavations along the south-west corner of the Temple Mount (e.g., the Huldah Gates staircases) reveal broad steps where rabbinic instruction occurred—consistent with John 8:2’s description of Jesus teaching seated in the Temple precinct when the interruption happened. Stone weights and inscription fragments (“Korban”) recovered there illustrate the normalcy of adjudication and public decision-making in that space. Theological Significance of the Test 1. Law and Grace: Jesus neither nullifies the Law nor condones sin; He fulfills it by redirecting judgment to the consciences of the accusers (“He who is without sin …” John 8:7). 2. Messianic Authority: By writing on the ground—a priestly allusion to Numbers 5:11–31 where dust of the tabernacle plays a role in an adultery trial—He asserts greater-than-Temple authority (cf. Matthew 12:6). 3. Foreshadowed Atonement: He stands between the condemned and the executioners, prefiguring His substitutionary role on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Why the Woman Was Brought to Jesus—Summary Answer She was presented as leverage in a premeditated legal snare intended to (1) force Jesus into an apparent contradiction between Mosaic Law and Roman authority, (2) undermine His growing public credibility as Teacher and Messiah, and (3) fabricate grounds for formal accusation. The woman herself was a disposable pawn; the true target was Christ’s divine authority and mission. Yet the confrontation ultimately vindicated both the righteousness and the grace of God embodied in Jesus, exposing the accusers’ sin and foreshadowing the redemptive gospel. |
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