Sermon Listening Guide
Speaker: Dr. Condy Richardson
Scripture: John 8:1-11
Sermon Title: “Jesus and the Woman”
Date: July 26, 2026
John 8:1-11 (NIV)
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
First Thoughts
John 8:1-11 is a controversial passage for several reasons.
In those verses, Jesus makes incredible claims that point to who he truly is.
These verses are also controversial because they are not in our oldest manuscripts.
Even so, they are important in our Christians tradition.
The Woman
In the temple courts a woman caught in adultery is taken to Jesus.
The Pharisees want to use her situation to embarrass or trap Jesus.
These religious leaders had lost sight of the value of people to God.
All of us are God’s creation and worthy of respect and care.
Those that should have been helping this woman were rooting against her.
The Pharisees
The bar to prove adultery was very high and very specific.
The man who was involved is noticeably absent in this story.
Jesus’ answer to their question proves their cruelty and hypocrisy.
Forgiven people forgive other people (Matthew 6:14-15).
Jesus and that Woman
Alone with the woman in the temple courts, Jesus forgives her sin.
Yet, Jesus also calls her to a new life with that sin in her past.
What prison of sin holds you?
Have you talked to Jesus about leaving your sin behind?
We can be free, if we trust him.
Final Thoughts
Who are you in this John 8 story?
Amazingly, we should all desire to be the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
She is forgiven and given a new direction in life.
There is nothing you have done that Jesus will not forgive.
John 8:1-11 is a controversial passage for several reasons.
In those verses, Jesus makes incredible claims that point to who he truly is.
These verses are also controversial because they are not in our oldest manuscripts.
Even so, they are important in our Christians tradition.
The Woman
In the temple courts a woman caught in adultery is taken to Jesus.
The Pharisees want to use her situation to embarrass or trap Jesus.
These religious leaders had lost sight of the value of people to God.
All of us are God’s creation and worthy of respect and care.
Those that should have been helping this woman were rooting against her.
The Pharisees
The bar to prove adultery was very high and very specific.
The man who was involved is noticeably absent in this story.
Jesus’ answer to their question proves their cruelty and hypocrisy.
Forgiven people forgive other people (Matthew 6:14-15).
Jesus and that Woman
Alone with the woman in the temple courts, Jesus forgives her sin.
Yet, Jesus also calls her to a new life with that sin in her past.
What prison of sin holds you?
Have you talked to Jesus about leaving your sin behind?
We can be free, if we trust him.
Final Thoughts
Who are you in this John 8 story?
Amazingly, we should all desire to be the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
She is forgiven and given a new direction in life.
There is nothing you have done that Jesus will not forgive.