Jesus is the Light

Read John 8:1-12
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 on 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.” 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Discussion:
Word meanings: circle the words you do not know and discuss

1. Why did the Pharisees bring this woman to Jesus? What exactly was the trap?
2. What did the Mosaic Law demand when someone was charged with adultery (read Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22)
3. What did Jesus do in verse 6? Why do you think Jesus did that?
4. How did Jesus turn the question back on the accusers? (verse 7)
5. How does Jesus show both justice and mercy in verse 11?
6. Jesus says he is the “light of the world”. What do you think is the connection between light and life? How might this apply to the story we just read?