Not Guilty!

John 5:14 (New King James Version)
She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

We've all seen the television courtroom scene on TV, whether they be real-life trials or times fictional dramas.  After days of arguments, objections, testimony, evidence presentation and deliberation the jury files back into the courtroom.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asks the jury foreman.

"We have, Your Honor," is the response.  "We the jury find the defendant..."

No matter what the outcome, the response in the courtroom is the same.  Some are pleased if not elated and others are disappointed if not dismayed.  But the verdict is in; it is final.  If found innocent, the defendant can never be tried again for that crime.  Even if it is discovered later that mistakes were made by the prosecution during the trial and that the individual is actually guilty, he can not be retried for the same charge.  It's referred to as "double jeopardy."  Also the name of a great movie, I might add...

The passage quoted in John 5 is in response to a trial.  Somewhat of a "kangaroo court" if you will, but a trial nonetheless.  This woman was caught in the act of adultery.  We don't know what the circumstances or with whom, but she was caught in the act.  She was guilty.  No doubt.  According to the law she deserved...she earned the right to be stoned to death for her crime.

She was brought to Jesus a guilty mess.  Embarrassed.  Shamed.  After some length of time Jesus agreed that she was guilty and pronounced sentence on her.  "Stone her," he commanded.  "Let the one among you who has not sinned throw the first rock in her death sentence!"  (John 8:7)  Fortunately for her, there was no one in the crowd who was able to step forward to throw the first stone.

Then a miracle happened for the woman.  Jesus, knowing her guilt...knowing all of the circumstances pronounced her not guilty and he let her go.  He absolved her of her guilt and declared her free to go.

That is a picture of you and I.  We stand before God.  Guilty.  Caught red handed in the act of sin.  But before we committed that act of sin, Christ died for us and paid the penalty for our sin.  We don't have a word to say in our defense.  There is nothing to say.  We are all guilty.  But John 3:17 says, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it."  It is not His goal to punish us.  It is his intent to save us.  That's why he died.  He gave his life to pay the penalty for our sin so we would not have to.

All WE have to do is trust in that sacrifice.  Believe by faith that His death satisfies the penalty for our salvation, believe that it and it ALONE is enough to satisfy God's anger against sin, and it is finished.

Romans 10:9
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dean, you will be saved.

He and He alone is able to forgive us.  His blood satisfied the payment.   If His blood is strong enough to save, it is strong enough to keep us saved.  No work we can perform can do either.

Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me.  Thank you for saving me.  Thank you that your Word says that nothing will be able to separate me from your love (Romans 8:38, 39) and that nothing (not even me!) will be able to snatch me from You (John 10:28) and that You are able to guard that which I have entrusted to You until the day of Your return (2 Timothy 1:12).  Amen!