The finger of Christ – what a picture of grace and judgment. On the one hand there is the chivalry of Jesus, on the other, there is the callousness of the Pharisees. With a tender touch our LORD lays hold of the shady side of humanity. With but his finger he illustrates the divine role of charity in judgments. With His finger He wrote on the ground.

The simple story is that these Pharisees, with an air of religious elitism and a lethal desire to trap Jesus, bring before Him a woman caught in the very act of adultery. The scene begs many questions of what, how and why, but they accuse her of blatant sin and want an immediate judgment. Casting stones is always a favorite activity of the religious. They carefully, cleverly, and callously set the trap. What is Jesus to do? Shall he sanction her stoning, as is the past custom of the times? Shall he ignore the law and sanction such a sin? What is he to do? Jesus “with his finger wrote on the ground.”

I remind the reader that Jesus knew well the law. He was at its writing, and He came to fulfill it!

And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18 KJV Bible)

It is the finger of God that had written the law. It is Jesus who now writes on the ground.

God wrote the Ten Commandments, and they are the law. It is a perfect law; it teaches us the difference between right and wrong. With his finger God wrote on tablets of stone to makes us conscious of our sins. However, something is horribly wrong with this picture. This woman is a sinner, and she deserves condemnation, but the looking glass needs to also focus on the rest of the participants in this potential stoning.

Because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20 KJV Bible)

The Pharisees represent the best of religious form, but God wrote the law with his own finger and showed even the best to be sinners. When God writes, we are made aware of our sins. The sinner woman, caught in the act of her sin,represents the worse of religious form, but God writes with his finger and only Divine Grace can save her.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV BIBLE)

The judgment and condemnation here are completely in Christ’s hand alone. It has and shall always be thus. Amazing Grace, how sweet is the sound. He says to the gutter bound sinner, “Neither do I condemn you, Go and sin no more!” To those who would judge and condemn here, He merely writes in the dust and they stand condemned.

It always seems to be the case that when the man made form of godliness meets the real finger of God something has to give.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy Bible KJV 3:5)

• _{Form gives us religion, Jesus gives us salvation}
• _{Form gives us elitism, Jesus gives us humility.}
• _{Form casts stones, Jesus gives us grace.}
• _{With his finger he wrote on the ground.}

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. (Luke 11:20 Evidence Bible)

Jesus says, “I could cast out devils with my finger, and there would be no doubt the kingdom of Christ is here.” Have no doubt, Jesus will judge the Pharisees and the gutter bound sinners. However, on this day He writes on the ground and a vile woman is made free from her sins.

We have not the foggiest idea what Jesus writes on this day, but it sure is powerful. Every time God writes it is so. Maybe He wrote their sins, who knows? Whatever it was, love and grace were the end message to a hurting soul.

_{There's a wideness in God's mercy,}

_{Like the wideness of the sea;}

_{There's a kindness in his justice,}

_{Which is more than liberty.}

_{Frederick William Faber (1814-1863)}

Here is my testimony!

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (Hebrews 8:10 KJV Bible)

“But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on my heart!”