Schemes of Satan-5

Satan has been very successful in deceiving the masses for thousands of years. GOD has been warning His chosen people about the evils of idolatry, but most of the world has indeed fallen for his lies. This includes the nation of Israel today. They deny that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and instead simply follow the traditions of men and doctrines of demons. We will now look at another of Satan’s schemes of deception.

John 8:1  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 8:2  Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 

Even as they failed to arrest Jesus yesterday, He came back to the very same place this morning. Jesus often went to the Mount of Olives to pray to His Father, as He will do on the eve of His soon arrest.

8:3  The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 8:4  they *said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 8:5  "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" 8:6  They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 

Here is there evil plan. They said they caught her in the act of adultery, which is a violation of one of the 10 commandments. It also is punishable by death, as are most of the commandments.

Exodus 20:14  "You shall not commit adultery. 

Numbers 25:6  Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 25:7  When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 25:8  and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 

The second deceitful challenge to Jesus is that they did not also bring forth the man. If she was caught in the act, where is the man? You needed both to ascertian guilt.

Thirdly, under Roman rule, they were not allowed to kill anyone!

John 18:31  So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," 

8:7  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 

8:8  Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

8:9  When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 

They kept trying to get Him to answer their false, deceitful charges as they hoped He would say something to condemn Himself. If He agreed that she should be stoned, they would call the Romans out to arrest Him. If He did not, they would call the people out to condemn Him as disobeying the Law of Moses. So did Jesus self-incriminate Himself as they planned?

No, He said nothing! But, whatever He wrote made them all leave one by one, the oldest went first.

8:10  Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 8:11  She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."] 

Jesus did not let her leave without reminding her of her sin. But, He did not condemn her either. It would appear that He forgave her, as He knows the hearts of all.

Again the Jews tried to trick, trap, or draw Jesus into a situation that would give them the evidence they needed to condemn Him. Instead, they were the one condemned.

More next Saturda.