John 8

Even though the note in your Bible probably says that verses 7:53-8:11 are not included in the earliest manuscripts, people that I have talked with seem confident of this story's authenticity, even if it was originally a part of a different narrative. Look at it with me and I think you will find that it has deep Hebrew roots which argues for it's authentic setting being in first century Judaism (Jesus' world). As this story opens, the people bring before Jesus a woman caught in adultery and point out that the appropriate punishment is death. There is an interesting double standard given by the people here, since the Torah actually proscribes death for both the man and the woman caught in adultery. If she was caught in adultery, where's the guy? (see Lev. 20:10 and Deut. 22:22) They are trying to trap Jesus, but He doesn't even give them a verbal answer. Instead He writes in the dust. ?! What's He doing? I think Jesus is giving them a remez. Check out Jeremiah 17:13: O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. Now remember that when a rabbi uses a remez, the main point is often in surrounding verses--look at Jeremiah 17:10-11. They don't get it right away, so Jesus delivers His famous line and goes down and writes in the dust again. Slowly, it begins to dawn on them what Jesus is saying, and it happens from the oldest to the youngest...very Jewish idea there. Notice also the word that is used in 8:9. At this, those who heard began to go away... Remember that the Hebrew word traslated "hear" is shema which implies not only hearing but also understanding. So they all leave and no one is left to condemn her. In case you think Jesus is going soft on sin, hear what he says in the last part of verse 11.

8:12 is especially cool when you consider that during the Feast of Tabernacles huge lamps were lit in the Temple courts.
Then Jesus gets into a big discussion about His Father. The people are all thinking Joseph and may even be questioning the moral circumstances surrounding His birth in verse 19 (think about how Jesus' birth must have looked to a human audience at that time).
Among some strong words by Jesus is a clear claim on His part to be divine in verse 58: Jesus using the phrase "I am" in reference to Himself is directly quoting the Name of God used in Exodus 3. This was as clear a claim to be God as any that He could have used--and His audience understood what He was saying which is why they were prepared to take action. Stoning would have been the appropriate action to take...except that in Jesus' case, He actually was God.