This is one of the most well-known and profound stories of Jesus: the account of the woman caught in adultery, brought before Him by the scribes and Pharisees in an attempt to test His wisdom and authority. Here I wanted to focus on the different response between the people who came to and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees. The first group came to listen and be taught by Jesus. The second group came to find a ground for accusing Jesus. Their contrasting responses reflect the choices we all make when we encounter Jesus.
In the opening of John 8, Jesus returns to the temple again after a series of dialogues with a hostile crowd in chapter 7. The scene immediately draws our attention to see the contrast between the people who came to Jesus early in the morning and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees.
Text Summary
Early in the morning, Jesus sat down and began to teach many people in the temple. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus, asking Him what needs to be done to the woman, invoking the law of Moses. Instead of responding directly to their accusations, Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground. He then said, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her’ After Jesus stooped down to write the second time on the ground, people began to leave one by one. After no one left, Jesus told her that He did not condemn her and to not sin anymore.
The First Group: Eager to Learn
The first group is described as “all the people” (John 8:2). They gathered early in the morning, drawn to Jesus’ presence and teaching. Given that this is early morning, we have a reasonable basis to think that these people made a deliberate choice to seek Him out this time of the day with a humble, teachable heart. By sitting down to teach them, Jesus honored and accepted their desire to listen. This simple detail of sitting down points out Jesus’ character of intimacy, accessibility and humility.
The Second Group: Eager to Accuse
But then, an unwelcome interruption – a striking difference from the eager group. The scribes and the Pharisees, dragging a woman caught in adultery, intrude on the scene. In contrast to the people who came early with a teachable mind to listen to Jesus’s teaching, they came with an evil intent to establish ground to accuse Jesus (John 8:6). Their actions, likely fueled by jealousy (Mark 15:10), revealed their inability to inspire people with the same grace, truth, and authority that Jesus embodied.
The Choice
What a sharp difference we see between these two groups! The first group of people came early and Jesus began to teach them. They made a choice to come early in the morning to listen. The second group that comprised the scribe and the Pharisees came not to listen, but to test and establish a ground for accusing Jesus.
Even in these opening few verses in chapter 8, we can draw practical, immediate lessons: the same stimulus can evoke vastly different responses in people. Jesus exposed Himself to a wide variety of groups, especially after the start of His ministry. He taught in the temple, engaged with people across socioeconomic boundaries, preached on mountains, performed miracles like healing the blind, and debated with hostile Jews, including religious authorities. To all that Jesus taught and demonstrated, some responded attentively, like those who came early to the temple to hear Him teach while He sat down. Others, however—like the scribes and Pharisees—chose to test Him and seek grounds for accusation.
The Choice Before Us: A Teachable Heart or a Hardened Heart?
This passage invites us to reflect on the choices we make when we encounter Jesus. Do we approach Jesus with a teachable heart, seeking to learn and grow? Or, do we approach Jesus with a hardened heart, dismissing His teachings and allowing our hearts to be captivated by jealousy? The difference can be striking, and that choice remains within our discretionary decision. May we guard our hearts and cultivate a teachable spirit as we approach the presence of Christ, eager to learn and grow in faith
The Book of Revelation opens with a strong, declarative statement: this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John makes this emphatic point to ensure that readers keep their focus on Jesus as He is revealed through the many visions describing God’s judgments, rather than being distracted in speculation about peripheral elements like the beast, the dragon, or natural disasters. The book invites the church of that time to see Christ in a newly revealed way, offering encouragement during periods of persecution and suffering.
In particular, the description of Jesus in Revelation 1 builds upon the majestic portrayal of the Son of Man in the Book of Daniel, further emphasizing His ultimate sovereignty, authority, and everlasting power over all realms—both in heaven and on earth. This vision must have been an immense comfort and source of strength for the first-century church. And the remarkable thing is that this invitation to know Christ in His fullness extends to the church today as well.
Summary
The book was introduced as the Revelation of Jesus Christ, given by God and communicated by His angel to His bond servant John. John began his letter by greeting his fellow partaker in suffering, the seven churches in Asia, with an emphatic, encouraging message that praises God for His glory and dominion that transcend time boundaries and that Jesus would certainly be coming back with clouds.
Then, John went on to share his brief, but powerful encountering experience with Jesus in the Spirit on one of the Lord’s days while he was on Patmos Island. First, he stated that he heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet that commanded him to write what he would see in a book and send it to the seven churches in Asia. Then, he saw the one like a son man, who manifested a majestic and awe-inspiring image, in the middle of the seven golden lamp stands. Although John fell at His feet like a dead man, he was comforted by the son of man and was told to write things that he had seen, he was seeing, and he would see.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The True Focus
Revelation (apokalypsis in Greek): laying bare, a disclosure of truth, cornering things before unknown, manifestation, appearance.
Right from the start, the very first phrase captures the essence of the book: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” This is not a revelation of the Apostle John himself. Though he was a faithful servant of God and entrusted to deliver the message, John was merely the messenger. The central focus of the book is not the end of the world, nor does it center on the rise of the dragon, the beast, or the angels and their judgments through catastrophic events like natural disasters. While these dramatic elements are described in detail and capture much attention, they are not the primary focus. The purpose of Revelation is to reveal Jesus Christ. The word “revelation” in Greek, apokalypsis, means the unveiling or disclosing of truths previously unknown. In this case, it appears that apokalypsis points to a fuller disclosure of certain often-overlooked attributes of Jesus Christ, which would serve as an encouragement to His followers enduring persecution and suffering.
One of the risks when reading Revelation is the temptation to focus disproportionately on the events or peripheral elements described. It’s crucial that we not let these aspects distract us from the main subject: Jesus Christ. Perhaps this is why John begins with a strong, clear statement: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Just as John used the word “sign” (sēmeion in Greek) in his Gospel to emphasize that the seven recorded miracles were not significant in themselves but pointed to God and Jesus, so too in Revelation the awe-inspiring, fearful, and at times unsettling visions serve a similar purpose. They function as signs pointing back to Jesus.
As we read chapter 1 and the rest of Revelation, let us focus on the character of Jesus Christ rather than speculating about other elements. One of the key messages of Revelation is that Jesus is coming back with the clouds, which often symbolize the full presence of God. His return will fulfill His promise to His disciples and the world—for ultimate redemption and the full manifestation of His presence. While the timing of this return is known only to the Father, many have attempted to speculate, only to reveal the futility of such efforts. Our task is not to predict the when, but to focus on the certainty of His return and what it reveals about His character.
Three Key Titles of Christ in Revelation
As a starting point of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John reminds the readers of the three fundamental descriptions associated with the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:5: the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus as “the faithful witness” signifies His role in perfectly revealing and testifying the truth of God. Jesus as “the firstborn of the dead” points to His resurrection after the death on the cross, highlighting His power even over death (Col 1:18, 1 Corinth 15:20-23, Romans 8:39). “The ruler of the kings” affirms Jesus’ ultimate authority over all, including all mankind’s power structure and institutions. John reminds the readers of Jesus again of these important characters and attributes of Jesus – in part to strengthen those who were undergoing persecution and suffering.
Christ’s Majestic Revelation: A New Vision of Authority
Revelation 1 introduces a unique and majestic portrayal of Jesus Christ, which echoes the descriptions from the Old Testament, particularly from the book of Daniel, but also presents new revelatory aspects of His divine nature and role that are distinct from the rest of the New Testament. The depiction of a son of man in the Revelation is similar to that in Daniel, but expands farther with more descriptive details and unique elements.
The description of highlighted Jesus’ characters in Revelation 1 builds upon the imagery found in the book of Daniel but goes much farther. Daniel shows a glimpse of the son of man’s authority and majesty, but Revelation unveils the son of man in additional ways: His presence that transcends time boundaries, His majestic descriptions that show His kingly authority, and His ultimate grip transcends heaven.
First, Jesus says, “I am the first and the last, echoing the earliest statement by the Lord God that He is the Alpha and Omega. His statement symbolizes that He is the origin and completion of all things. This identification is unique in the book of the Revelation and emphasizes Christ’s eternal, uncreated and His sovereign control over history. This identification is the repeat yet expanded version of the description given in Daniel (7:13-14) which describes a son of man, who came to the Ancient Days, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that is an everlasting one immune to destruction.
Second, Revelation 1 expands upon the majestic descriptions found in Daniel 7, presenting Jesus in His glorified, post-resurrection state. The imagery of Christ in Revelation in 1:12-16 is more vivid and complete, emphasizing His identity as both Judge and King. His white wool-like hair shows His wisdom. His fiery eyes symbolizes His penetrating discernment (His people from those of the beast), the bronze feet His steadfastness and purity, and sharp-two edged word His powerful judgment.
Third, revelation 1 shows more specifically Jesus’ ultimate authority over the realm that is largely invisible – the dead. Although Jesus’ authority over the realm of the dead was shown indirectly through His resurrection, Revelation 1 makes this more explicit from Jesus’ statement that “I was dead, and behold,I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” The statement signifies His authority over life, death, as well as eternal destiny. This description is a fuller revelation of the divine power over the living and dead hinted at in Daniel 12:1-2
The Command to Write: Preserving the Revelation
Notable commands were given to John in this chapter: the command to write – twice. First, a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet instructed John to write in a book what he was about to see and send it to the seven churches (1:11). Then, a second command comes from the one like a son of man, concerning the things that have been seen, were being seen, and would take place (1:19).
The repetition of this command to write underscores the significance of the book of Revelation – its role in comforting and encouraging Jesus’ followers while offering others an opportunity to acknowledge God and return to Him. This command is particularly notable because, in the four Gospels, Jesus never directly commanded His disciples to record His actions and words. The New Testament writings were composed by His disciples, inspired by the Holy Spirit absent without explicit directives. However, in this chapter, two direct commands were given to John to document the vision to the church. This highlights the urgency and importance of the overall message of the book of Revelation, especially for the seven churches, who were desperately seeking the living and powerful message of Christ in the midst of suffering and difficulties.
From Private Vision to Public Revelation
The scope of the Book of the Revelation is vast. The message was given to John in a deeply impressive way, particularly through powerful visual and auditory forms. John was tasked with taking in these overwhelming and inspiring revelations and faithfully converting them into written words to the seven churches in Asia Minor.
Yet, this monumental revelation was initially very private to John, and that privacy carries a significant meaning. First, the private delivery of messages highlights the deep intimacy between John and God – an intimate connection between God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and John. This is fitting, given John’s unique relationship with Jesus as one of His closest disciples. Second, the private nature of the revelation can be seen as a way to safeguard, a way to ensure the message’s integrity is kept before being open to the public. This helps to prevent immediate public distortion, misunderstanding, or exploitation of the Revelation of Christ. Third, this private nature of the message places John as a mediator like a prophet of the Old Testament where God had revealed messages and visions privately to His prophets before being communicated to a wider community of Judah and Israel.
Though private at first, the revelation was meant to be shared with the broader community of believers, and eventually, the whole world. John was to bring this revelation to his fellow bond-servants of Christ, including the seven churches, as a source of comfort and encouragement, reminding them of Jesus’s eternal power and authority over all affairs of the world.
Then, as Revelation 1:3 declares, “Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it,” the message was to reach beyond churches, offering the entire world a chance to hear and heed the words of Christ. In this way, the Book of Revelation echoes the heart of John 3:16-19 – God sent His Son not to judge the world, but so that all might believe and have eternal life. The revelation is an invitation to return to God before the appointed time draws near.
Please read the two sentences, which share identical meaning, in the two bullets below. For lack of terminology, let’s say that Sentence A is a noun-led statement. Sentence B is a verb-led statement.
Sentence A (noun-led): Mr. Smith is a murderer.
Sentence B (verb-led): Mr. Smith killed someone.
How did you react/response to these two sentences? What were your initial thoughts on Mr. Smith based on Sentence A and Sentence B? Are they similar, or different? If they are different, why do you think they are different?
To Sentence A, people tend to react with judgement. People tend to judge early and decisively that Mr. Smith was a bad person, a person to be deservedly sentenced to many years in prison. To Sentence B, however, people’s reaction was different. People were more curious than judging. They wondered why Mr. Smith killed someone. Although identical in meaning, the verb-led statement seems to evoke different reactions from the noun-led sentence. This is one of the insights shared by Professor Kim, a psychology professor in Ajou University in South Korea.
How God uses noun-led and verb-led statements
His short lecture gave me an “aha!” moment and a new insight on how God perceives and evaluates His people despite their flaws and failures.
Here are a few examples of how the Bible uses the noun-led statements.
Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3).
God labeled David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
Gideon was a valiant warrior (Judges 6:12).
Jephthah was a valiant warrior (Judges 11:1)
Jesus designated Peter as the rock upon which He will build His church (Matt 16:18)
Notice that these are noun-led statements and all highlight good positive aspects of that person. For positive qualities, God uses the noun-led statements for people to make a quick, decisive judgement on their goodness.
In contrast, we have never seen these statements in the Bible, although they are true.
Moses was a murderer (Exodus 2:12).
David was an adulterer and murderer (2 Samuel 11).
Gideon was a corrupt king (Judges 8).
Peter was a betrayer of Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).
Instead, the Bible uses verb-led sentences to describe the flaws and failures of these men of God, but never makes a decisive noun-led claim on their negative aspects. For Moses, the Bible describes why Moses killed the person (not to justify). For David, the Bible narrates David’s act of committing adultery with Bathsheba and of craftily killing Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, in the battle field – this allows the readers to wonder, question, and learn, instead of making a premature condemnation. The Bible also depicts the situation in which Peter denied Jesus three times, but never labeled Peter as a betrayer – so that we can read and meditate on the shortcomings of Peter, and reflect our limitations and flaws to focus more on the grace of Jesus Christ.
In summary, God labels great quality of His people by noun-led statements. For flaws and failures of His people, God narrates those events in verb-led statements for the readers to meditate, ponder and learn both the depravity of people and loving-kindness of God.
How do you use noun-led and verb-led statements?
I pray that you will use them in an apt manner as God did to His people. You will shine like stars in the sky in this crooked generation (Phil 2:15).
Friday: Night of Inductive Bible Study on April, 12, 2019
It was a beautiful weather in Maryland with a mild temperature between 60 and 65 although slightly wet due to early afternoon rain. Around 8 p.m., five of us gathered in one of the buildings at the University of Maryland College Park campus to collectively meditate on and discuss the word of God – from the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 30 of the book records the final portion of Moses’ sermon to the Israelites in the wilderness.
Decipher the Author’s heart and mind
The last public message by Moses, which began in chapter 28, took place in the land of Moab where the second-generation Israelites gathered. Although he was 120 years old, he was full of vigor with clear eyesight. Chapter 30 is the last portion of his exhortation to God’s people to obey the LORD. Given that Mose knew that his physical death was imminent, chapter 30 is almost equivalent to Moses’ will. He was pouring out his heart to his spiritual sons and daughters, God’s people, with all his heart, mind, strength, and soul. He might have been dripping blood like sweat knowing that Israelites, despite the warnings and pleadings, would eventually disobey and, subsequently, face curses that the LORD warned (Deut 28) – perhaps, similar to that of Jesus when He prayed for all the believers (John 16 and 17) before His crucifixion, know that He would be temporarily separated from the Father. temporary separation from the Father. Moses’ message might have been similar to Paul’s last letter to his beloved son, Timothy (2 Timothy). At first glance, Deuteronomy may be seen as a dry book of repetition of laws and warnings. However, I beg to differ. This was the painful pouring out of heart of Moses to God’s people because of deep love. Let’s read the following chapters as if we were Moses. Then, each word and phrase becomes dynamic.
Reasons for us to pay attention to the last message of Moses
One tip on meditation is to be one of the actual persons in the passage. Try to be Moses. Try to be one of the Israelites as if you were hearing his last sermon at this moment. Try to imagine even yourself as God when Moses was preaching. What was going through Moses’ mind as he was uttering these words of God? How high or low was his tone of speech? Where was his standing, and was he able to see all the audience of 600,000 Israelites? What was the weather like, the season of the year and time of the day? And so forth.
Here’s the reason for us, the readers in the 20th century, to pay attention to Moses’ last sermon. Imagine a guy, who was 120 years old, full of energy and vigor, yet knowing imminent death, this person surely wanted to impart the most important message. Before the death bed, no one will waste his/her last strengths with something meaningless. This reason alone is sufficient for us to heed the message.
Content
Here’s the content of Chapter 30. In the first part of the chapter, verse 1 to 10, Moses reiterated God’s faithfulness and eventual Israelites’ disobedience and banishment to all nations because of their persistently rebellious disobedience to God. Despite knowing the rebellious heart and deliberate disobedience of the future Israelite, the LORD their God still promised the blessings to His people if they would return to the LORD their God and obey Him with all their heart and souls according to all the commandments.
The second part of the passage, from verse 11 to 14, Moses injected an important attribute of God and His words. He encouraged the Israelites that they could keep those commandments because they are near and within the reach and not too difficult.
This may strike some of us strange given that we were taught that it is impossible to keep all the commandments written in the book of Moses. However, Moses in Deuteronomy argued that “this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you (Deut 30:11).” How can keeping the commandment not too difficult? The key to understanding this verse is to obtain a correct understanding of “keeping the commandments.” Let’s come back to this point.
The third part, from verse 15 to the end of the chapter, Moses provided a few direct commands to the Israelites: Love the LORD your God (v16); and choose life by living the LORD your God (v19).
In summary, Moses pleaded with the Israelites to obey and love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind and strength – because that is the only way to the true life.
Insightful questions
The biggest benefit of having a bible study with a dedicated and curious group of people is the variety of questions that arise from different perspective, thinking style, and life background. During the Bible study, we threw out many questions. Here are two insightful questions which underpinned the flow of the discussion and sharing on this session.
[Q1] Moses stated that keeping the commandments would not be too difficult for the Israelites (Deut 39:11). This statement is strange especially given some of the references provided in the letters written by apostle Paul. Paul in numerous times told that it was impossible to keep the commandments of the Law and the purpose was to illuminate that we were sinners. How can we better understand the exact meaning of keeping the commandments being to too difficult?
This is a great question. One of the complacency that creeps onto the followers of Christ surrounded by church setting is simply accepting the words at their face value. Faith in God and Jesus does not mean to throw away curiosity and critical thinking. Critical thinking and questioning actually enhance our understanding of God, thus solidifying our faith in Christ.
Then, what does the “keeping the commandment is not too difficult” mean to you? Do you agree? Can you (imagine yourself as one of the Israelites listening to the last sermon by Moses around 2,000 B.C.) possibly keep all the commandments, 600 plus requirements? Probably, not. Then, why did Moses say that keeping the commandment is not too difficult?
Then, that leads to the other more fundamental question. Perhaps, there is a fundamental difference between Moses’ meaning of keeping the commandments and our understanding of “keeping the commandments.” The next question that came up during our bible study again enlighten us more.
[Q2] This verse (Deut 30:11) prompted me (the questioner) to compare and contrast the commandments uttered by Moses and commandments kept by Pharisees. I understand that the time gap between the two is about 2,000 years. However, What is the core difference in the meaning of the “obeying the commandments” by Moses and the Pharisees?
Again, great question. On the surface, Moses message in Deuteronomy for the Israelites to keep the commandments (otherwise a set of terrible consequences will ensue) and the Pharisees’ conduct of obeying the commandments of the Law during the time of Jesus may not seem to be very different. Yet, there are a key fundamental differences between Moses’ understanding of keeping the commandments of God and that of the Pharisees.
First, the purpose. Moses urged the Israelites to keep the commandments to live and honor God whereas the Pharisees used the commandments to show off their difference from the rest of the people by explicitly display their acts of righteousness. Moses taught the commandments to give life whereas Pharisees used the commandments outshine themselves and produce guilt trip to others.
Second, more importantly relation. Moses knew God face to face whereas the Pharisees knew the facts about God but did not know Him. One of the key indicators that show the difference is that Moses interceded for the Israelites three times when God was about to destroy them. Moses’ intercession was incredibly notable given that the Israelites in a few occasions wanted to stone Moses to go back to Egypt. Moses understood the heart of God – God’s deep love for the Israelites – and made an appeal to God to relent. In contrast, Pharisees were busy impressing their fellow Israelites and urged them to tithe, let alone intercede for them.
Moses understood the commandments from God by projecting the heart of God, but the Pharisees literally depended on their cognitive understanding of the letter of the words of commandments on the surface. In fact, Moses was already obeying the greatest commandments and the one like it – to Love the LORD and to love your neighbor as yourself.
The Pharisees’ way of keeping the commandment of the Law was different. They focused literally on the words of the LORD. They think that the Scripture itself could lead them to eternal life. They thought they knew God by literally living the written words of the commandments, yet, their actions gave impression to others that “religious” actions were of primacy
Connection with the New Testament: Love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
When Moses urged the Israelites to keep the commandment, the core meaning was to establish relation and love the LORD. Loving the LORD is keeping the commandment, not one of the commandments. The Pharisees’ understanding of the commandment was the literal obedience to all the letters. If that is the case, even Jesus violated the commandment by taking the grain from the field in the Sabbath (Matt 5). Sabbath was made for men to rest and know God.
Then, why did Moses say that keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult? First, it is not the literal deeds that follow all the details of the commands, but loving and depending on the LORD was core crux of the commandment. It was to be viewed as relational. Therefore, it was told that keeping the command was not too difficult. Second, verse 6, it was the LORD moreover who would circumcise the heart of the Israelites. In other words, the LORD enables them to undergo transformation of heart so that they can love the LORD. In the New Testament term, we can interpret as keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult because the followers of Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Then, why did Moses say that keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult? First, it is not the literal deeds that follow all the details of the commands, but loving and depending on the LORD was core crux of the commandment. It was to be viewed as relational. Therefore, it was told that keeping the command was not too difficult. Second, verse 6, it was the LORD moreover who would circumcise the heart of the Israelites. In other words, the LORD enables them to undergo transformation of heart so that they can love the LORD. In the New Testament term, we can interpret as keeping the commandment of the LORD is not too difficult because the followers of Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Table 1: Comparison between Moses and Pharisees
Moses
Pharisees
Relation with God
He had a face-to-face personal relationship with God.
They knew about God, but no personal relationship with God.
Posture
Although he knew that he was special (having one-on-one) conversation, he was humble.
Although they possessed tremendous knowledge about God, that led to pride and hubris.
Message
He gave life-giving messages (The LORD is your life).
Their examples were bounded by life-draining regulations.
Moses knew God as he experienced God. Deuteronomy 30, the message, by Moses was life-giving just as Jesus’ message and all his deeds were life-giving.
Pharisees did not know God. Their special status stemming from their ancestor Abraham made them arrogant. Their message to people were life-draining duties and religious acts.
Application
Moses concluded the last part of the sermon by giving a choice to the Israelites. As Moses provided choices to the Israelites, so did God. God never forces His will upon us. However, because He loves us, He urges us to choose life.
In Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve sinned and sin entered and we fell under the dominance of sin, whose wage is death. We live under the force of death. Without God (30:19), our choices are limited to only death and curse. Yet, God intervened in this world to provide us with life and blessings – the only way for us to choose life is loving the LORD our God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him. “Choose life” is still the message for us in 2019.
Give Life 