Written In The Dust

Q

Could you tell me in your opinion or maybe backed up by bible verses, what do you think Jesus wrote on the ground with his finger in John Chapter 8? Thank you.

A

Believe it or not, I’ve heard some say that this passage proves that Jesus could read and write! The Bible doesn’t disclose what He wrote, but from the context of the passage we can make an educated guess. To start with, the whole thing’s a set-up. If the woman was caught in the very act of adultery, where’s the man? Why wasn’t he caught too? They’re trying to put Jesus on the spot. If He upholds the Law, He’ll be condemning the woman to death. But if He argues for mercy for the woman, He’ll be preaching against the Law. But He outsmarted them. He upheld the Law, saying let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I think the first thing He wrote was the 9th Commandment against giving false testimony. It’s not that He believed the woman was innocent because after the confrontation ended He told her not to do that any more. He knew they were exploiting the situation to trap Him. In writing the 9th Commandment He was accusing them of impure motives.

When that didn’t stop them, I think what he then wrote in the dust was each man’s most closely guarded secret sin, something no one could expect Him to know. By doing this he stilled their voices and sent them off in shame, springing their trap in the process.