When the Rocks Hit the Ground

     I love that God has left so many mysteries in the Bible.  I love that it prompts us to dig deep into His word.  What other book can continue revealing new truths into your life no matter how many times you read it?  Yes, the Bible is alive, God's Living Word.  Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version) 12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 
     Most questions in the Bible can be answered through study and prayer.  There are several places in the Bible that God has left unanswered questions, though.  My personal belief is that He does this to prompt us to dig into His Word, to contemplate His character, to meditate on His ways, to grow closer to Him, and in some areas, push us to believer's faith.  The faith of knowing that some things will simply remain unanswered.  The faith to be okay with that. 
     I have been thinking on one of those stories lately.  The story is the following:
 1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They 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. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus 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."
     The question to contemplate here is "What did Jesus write?".  Let me begin with assuring the reader that I have NO CLUE.  I don't pretend to have the answer to questions that God left unanswered for a purpose.  There are many theories available, though.  I've read where some believe He wrote the transgressions of others in the dirt.  I'm not so sure that I agree with that.  I don't know that a Savior who will fulfill the prophesy that will make it possible for our sins to be cast as far as east is from west would list and reveal sins of individuals in front of a whole crowd.  Still, I don't know for sure. 
     I was thinking about what he might have written.  I thought that it had to sound like something Jesus would say, and it had to make the people drop their stones and walk away.  Is it possible that He simply wrote, "I will stand in her place"?  Again, I have no scripture to back this up, but either way...isn't that just what Jesus does?  For the one who lies, didn't he become the liar?  For the one who murders, didn't he take on the sin of murder?  For the adulteress, didn't he take their punishment and shame on the cross?
     I imagine Jesus offering himself.  An innocent sinless man saying "I will stand in her place."  The accusers drop their rocks after he says, "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to cast the stone."  Now Jesus points back to himself as the only righteous judge who can see into the woman's heart for he IS without sin, and he does not even place his hand on a stone.  See this passage from Isaiah 11:  3 He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 

     It is unusual for me to write things that I cannot back up with scripture.  I couldn't let this one go, though.  When we get real with ourselves, haven't most of us felt like that woman in the circle, completely humiliated and ashamed?  Haven't we had a moment in our lives where we felt judged by the crowd?  Isn't it precious that Jesus comes as our defender, reminding the crowd that we all need a Savior?  That only He, as the spotless lamb has the God-given right to cast stones. Instead, he took our punishment on the cross. 
     It is interesting to roll over ideas of what answers to unanswered questions will be.  Ultimately, it doesn't matter what He wrote in the dirt.  Still, I am thankful that through this story, God reminded me of what my Savior did for me.  As the song "Jesus Messiah" by Chris Tomlin says:  "He became sin, who knew no sin."