Jesus Wrote on the Ground

Throughout his ministry, Jesus faced opposition. In spite of that, he was always able to reveal the grace and power of God, transforming people’s lives.

Once some religious leaders tried to trick Jesus. They had been plotting against him to arrest him and kill him, and now they thought they had a perfect opportunity to trap him.A woman had been caught in adultery and was dragged in front of Jesus (John 8:1-12). The religious leaders said that she should be stoned, and they asked Jesus what to do.

Jesus didn’t answer them right away. Instead he bent over and wrote on the ground.

After a while, Jesus gave them an answer. He said that the person who had no sin should be the first to throw a stone at the woman.

Then he wrote on the ground again.

Feeling convicted by the power of God, all the religious leaders went out, from the oldest to the youngest. They knew they had sinned. They had been adulterous too.

The woman was left alone, and no one was left to accuse her. Jesus was the only one there without sin. He had the right to throw stones, but he didn’t. He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save the world (John 3:17). We should be merciful too.

When Jesus wrote on the ground, he gave a symbolic picture of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts are like spiritual ground. As Jesus wrote on the dirt, the Holy Spirit convicted hearts. The religious leaders had an opportunity to repent and turn to God. But instead of responding in humility and obedience to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they rejected God and slunk away. 

They weren’t willing to abandon their sins. They wanted to throw stones at a woman for the same sins they committed. They were hypocrites.

They weren’t gone for long. After hardening their hearts against the Holy Spirit, they quickly regrouped and came back. They accused Jesus of being demonized. They implied that he was a bastard.

When we encounter the word of God, we can respond in either humility or arrogance. We can submit to God’s word or attack it.

Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. She was forgiven that day, because she responded humbly to the voice of God.

Jesus took her condemnation on himself. He took her place. The same religious leaders who were about to stone the woman instead grabbed stones to throw at Christ (John 8:59).

Jesus escaped, but he wasn’t free for long. Soon he was arrested, condemned, beaten, went to the cross, and died. He died in her place, bearing her sins and shame. He died for all of us too.

Now we, like the adulterous woman, are set free.

Just like Jesus did when he wrote on the ground, Jesus convicts our hearts by the Holy Spirit. When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, we hear the voice of God. He is telling us to do something or change something. When we respond humbly to this conviction, we are delivered.

If we ignore the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, we go away from Jesus. Our hearts become hard. The word of God will not find a soft place of rest inside us.

God is merciful. The Spirit of God will lead us into all truth. The truth will set us free.

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Let’s be merciful like Jesus, for the merciful will receive mercy. And let’s rejoice that just like the woman caught in adultery, we are set free from sin, shame, and condemnation by the love of Christ.