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Caught Red-Handed

¹ Jesus went to Olive Hill, ² but was back at the main church early the next morning. He drew quite a crowd. He sat them all down and taught them how to ride for God's outfit. ³ As he was teaching, some seminary professors and a Pharisee brought a woman who had just been caught having sex with a married man. They stood her up in front of the gawking crowd.

⁴ "Oh great teacher," they chided, "we caught this woman having sex with a married man. ⁵ The code of Moses says to kill her with stones. What say you?"

⁶ Jesus knew they were trying to trap him. He said nothing, but stooped down and started writing something in the dust with his finger. ⁷ They kept hounding him for an answer, but when he stood up, he said, "Stone her. But only the man who has never sinned, not even once in his entire life, may throw a stone." ⁸ He knelt back down and continued writing in the dirt.

⁹ The oldest of the woman's accusers walked off first, but soon all of them had gone. Now it was just Jesus and woman standing among the crowd. ¹⁰ He finally stood up and looked around. "Where are all your accusers, my lady? Is there no one here to accuse you?"

¹¹ "There are none, my Lord," she said.

"Then I will not accuse you either," Jesus said. "Go now and live your life the right way. Do not sin anymore."

The Light of the World

¹² Jesus turned back to the crowd and said, "I am the light of the world. Those who ride with me will never ride in the dark. They will live in the light."

¹³ Some Pharisees challenged him, "You can't claim that about yourself without a witness to back it up."

¹⁴ Jesus replied, "I don't have to have a witness because I know who I am and where I came from. Just because you don't know these things doesn't make what I said untrue. ¹⁵ You only judge by human standards, but I judge no one. ¹⁶ And even if I did, my judgment would be absolutely correct every single time because I am not alone. I ride with my Father who sent me to you. ¹⁷ Your own code says that the testimony of two witnesses makes something true. ¹⁸ Well, the first witness is me, and the second is my Father who sent me."

¹⁹ "Where is your father then?" they replied. "Let's hear what he has to say."

Jesus said, "If you don't recognize who I am, how can you recognize who my Father is? If you knew me, you would know him." ²⁰ Jesus was standing near the offering table when he said all this. No one tried to arrest him because his time had not yet come . . . but it would.

People Keep Arguing about Jesus

²¹ Jesus repeated himself later, "I am leaving soon. You will look for me, but you'll only find death when your sins catch up to you. You can't find me because you can't go where I am headed."

²² The people started wondering if Jesus meant he was going to kill himself.

²³ Jesus continued, "You live in what you can see, hear, feel, and touch. I come from beyond such human standards. You are hobbled to this world. I am not. ²⁴ This is why I said that you would die when your sins catch up to you. Nothing of this world can save you from your sins. I AM the only one who can save you and you must believe that with all of your soul. If you don't, you are already dead."

²⁵ The Jews said to him, "Then tell us who you really are."

Jesus replied, "I've already told you, but you don't listen. ²⁶ There is a lot I could say about each of you. I could start listing off your sins one by one, but I won't. I only say what the one who sent me tells me to say. And everything he tells me is entirely true." ²⁷ They still didn't understand that he was talking about his Father.

²⁸ So Jesus finally said, "When you have finally strung me up on the cross, then you will know that I AM he. I only do what my Father says for me to do. ²⁹ The One who sent me rides with me now, for he has not left my side. For I always do what is pleasing to him." ³⁰ As he spoke, many people began to believe.

The Devil's Kids

³¹ Jesus spoke then to those who believed. "You ride for me if you do what I tell you to do. ³² Only then will you know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

³³ "But we have never been a slave to anyone," they answered. "We are all descendants of Abraham. If we are not slaves, then how can we be 'set free'?"

³⁴ Jesus replied, "Anyone who has sinned is a slave to sin.³⁵ A slave can belong to no family,³⁶ but if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. ³⁷ I know you are descendants of Abraham, but I also know that some of you are trying to kill me. There's no room in your dead hearts for my life-giving message. ³⁸ I am acting like my Father and y'all are behaving like yours."

³⁹ "Our father is Abraham," they yelled.

"No, he's not," Jesus replied. "If he were your father then you would do as he did. ⁴⁰ Abraham wouldn't be standing here trying to plot my murder, but y'all are. ⁴¹ You all are acting like your real father."

They yelled back, "We are not bastard children! God is our real father."

⁴² Jesus said, "If that were true, then you would love me. I have been sent by God. I have never said that I came on my own. ⁴³ Why do y'all not understand this? Am I speaking a foreign language that you've never heard? ⁴⁴ No, the reason you don't understand me is because your real father is the devil. He wants to kill me and so do y'all. He was a murderer in the beginning, and his bastard children act just like him. He has always despised the truth because he couldn't handle it. He lies because it's who he is. He is the father of lies. ⁴⁵ When I tell y'all the truth, you can't handle it either, so you don't believe me. ⁴⁶ Which of you has ever seen me commit an actual sin? If I'm telling the truth, why can't you believe it? ⁴⁷ A child of God understands what God says. You don't understand because you are not a child of God."

⁴⁸ The people began shouting, "Well, you're actually a Samaritan and possessed by a demon."

⁴⁹ Jesus said, "I'm not possessed by a demon. I bring honor to my Father, and you bring dishonor to his Son. ⁵⁰ I'm not looking for honor though, but there is one who wants it, and I give it to him. He is the judge of all things. ⁵¹ I ain't lying when I promise you that whoever rides for me and does what I do will never see death."

⁵² The unbelievers said, "Now there is no doubt that you have a demon inside you. Even Abraham died, and so did the prophets. But you are telling us now that if we do what you say, we won't ever die? ⁵³ You think you are greater than Abraham? You think you are better than the prophets? Who do you think you are?"

⁵⁴ Jesus continued, "If I am seeking my own glory then all I've said doesn't mean anything. I do not seek glory, but my Father will give it to me. ⁵⁵ You claim that he is your God, but you wouldn't know it if he was standing here talking to you. I know who God is. If I said I didn't, I would be a liar like y'all. But I do know God, and I obey him completely. ⁵⁶ Did you know that Abraham was allowed to see what I would do and he absolutely rejoiced at the sight?"

⁵⁷ "You are less than fifty years old," they sneered. "How could you have seen Abraham?"

⁵⁸ "Listen to me close," Jesus said. "Before Abraham was born, I AM!" ⁵⁹ They screamed in rage and picked up stones to kill him, but Jesus slipped away from the main church grounds.