Go & Sin No More - Easter As Eschatology

John 7:53 - 8:11 looks like a story that (to paraphrase my former New Testament Introduction professor, Maurice Robinson) has the appearance of a narrative that whoever compiled the text didn’t know where to place within the 4 Gospels. Does it belong to John or another author, like Luke?

I agree, & I think it was providentially placed in John at a particular point in the narrative structure because it has a greater purpose than other pericopes.   It reminds me of the long ending of Mark & the Tower of Babel narrative in Genesis 11.  Like those 2 texts, when I consider the Pericope Adulterae, I am struck by their eschatological cast.   John 7:53 - 8:11  reminds me of the Book of Revelation, insofar as Revelation is intended to be read as a short eschatological epic that depicts the full sweep of redemptive history, which is cyclical in nature. 

Here’s what I mean by that…

First, pay careful attention to the placement of the Pericope Adulterae within John’s narrative.  

John 7:37–39 (ESV): On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

• At the end of Passover, Yeshua was crucified.  Through this act, figuratively speaking, He stood up (was raised up on the cross) & cried out, ““If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 

• In so doing, He fulfilled His covenant duty as Redeemer-Mediator & dramatically preached the Gospel to lay down works righteousness & turn to the LORD in repentance & faith in order to be filled with living water (eg. be freed from the power of sin & death & become an instrument for goodness, kindness, & everlasting life & peace). 

John 7:40–44 (ESV): When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 

• Within the New Testament narrative, even after the immediate events surrounding His crucifixion & resurrection, there was still consternation within Israel relative to His identity & message.   The people & their leaders were divided. 

John 7:45–52 (ESV): The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 

• This division extended to both civil & ecclesiastical authorities. 

47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 

• As a matter of fact a few had done so. 

49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 

• They talked down about Peter & John & the other followers of Yeshua & His school of thought (Acts 4), just like the religious Establishment sometimes does when the People start using their knowledge & understanding of the Scriptures & exercising their prophetic gifts. 

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 

• Gamaliel said something similar in Acts 5:38 - 39. 

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 

• Consequently, the majority within the Sanhedrin continued in their teaching in favor of works righteousness, & they persecuted the members of this reform movement in 2nd Temple Judaism.

John 7:53–8:11 (ESV): They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 

• After the crucifixion & resurrection, His followers remained on Earth & Yeshua ascended to heaven.

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. 

• As the sun continued to rise over the new covenant administration, Yeshua, now in heaven & the literal theanthropic Redeemer-Mediator, continued His 3fold ministry of Prophet, Priest, & King.

All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 

• Via any number of means, including the inspiration of Scripture & the empowerment of the Godhead, He, as to both His humanity & His divinity, sat down (at the right hand of God) & taught the people day in & day out in both heaven & earth & under the earth, from the vantage point of the heavenly court (Psalm 82).

3 The scribes and the Pharisees 

• Certain members of the heavenly court 

brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 

• These Accusers acted exactly like Satan, the accuser (Rev. 12:10) & anyone who acts just like him. 

• Psalm 82:1–2 (ESV): God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst

        of the gods he holds judgment: 

         2  “How long will you judge unjustly 

         and show partiality to the wicked? 

 

4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 

• We’ve all done all done something crazy in heaven, earth, & under the earth.   The Accusers in the heavenly court (yet again) accuse God’s offspring, sometimes accurately, other times conspiratorially (Job 1).

5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 

6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. 

• This is  very same sort of thing we find in the temptation narrative in Matthew & Luke.  The Accusers deployed Scripture in order to accuse God & His people.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 

• Just as God did through Moses, the Prophets, the authors of Scripture & through people entrusted as governors & teachers, & other servants of the people…

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 

• Knowing the pain of the woman, having empathy with her, & having seen & heard enough, He became her Advocate - just like God does when He defends His people against Satanic opposition & the unjust, merciless, frequently hypocritical judgment emanating from accusers both inside & outside the covenant community.

 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 

• This sort of thing, eschatologically speaking, happens in cycles.  Remember - the Book of Revelation has a cyclical structure, & every time the Covenant of Grace expands, it does so during a time of declension & travail.  No doubt, as people purposely devour one another through division & accusation, demonic activity increases.  This requires a response.  

• Prophecy is God’s answer to idolatry, witchcraft, & wickedness in general.  Yeshua, here, is seen to behave just like God by writing in the earth, which depicts another cycle of inspired prophetic intervention.

9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, 

• At the close of the cycle, the Accusers either having repented, or, now regarding the encounter with the LORD God Adonai & His people as a temporary setback from which they will, sooner or later, recover, decide to leave in a fairly orderly fashion. 

and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 

• In the end, the LORD hasn’t abandoned His promises & people.  Whereas -  if the Accusers were the accused associates, & especially if they were the woman’s pseudodeities - they have abandoned the woman - who represents all of us God’s people.

10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” 

• The LORD, having promised not to contend/wrangle indefinitely with His people in His courtroom/temple/polis (Isaiah 57:16) pronounces His judgment, & writes the Accused a writ of release in grace, faith, & hope that she (eg we, Adonai’s people) will remain &/or return off & on for all eternity & live out His charge to “Go & sin no more.”