“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them.
“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou? This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him.
“But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:1–11
Jesus had come to the temple in Jerusalem that morning from the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is one of three peaks along a mountain ridge, which runs for 3.5 kilometres just east of the Old City across the Kidron Valley. This area is called the Valley of Josaphat. In Jesus’ day it is written that Mount Olivet “is near Jerusalem a Sabbath’s journey.” Acts 1:12. According to Jewish tradition a Sabbath’s journey is a distance of 2,000 cubits or 0.92 km (.57 of a mile).
Interestingly, this distance is also mentioned when the people of Israel went through the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. Joshua instructed the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant at a distance of 2,000 cubits. “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” Joshua 3:4
Joshua and the children of Israel had arrived at the Jordan River. After spending three days there the command was given to cross. “And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.“ Joshua 3:3
As the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched the waters of the Jordan, the river parted, giving a dry path for the people to cross over. The people were to follow the Ark at a distance of 2,000 cubits.
Also, Jewish historians state that 2,000 cubits was the distance that the Israelites had to place their tents from the Tabernacle while they were camped in the wilderness. That is where the term “a Sabbath’s journey” is derived from. It was the distance that the people needed to travel to the Tabernacle in order to take part in the Sabbath services.
So, in the early morning, Jesus awoke and looked over at the beautiful temple from the Mount of Olives. This temple was constructed according to the pattern of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The wilderness tabernacle, that was built by Moses, was patterned after the heavenly tabernacle according to the instructions given him from Jesus. He (Jesus) had built the heavenly tabernacle. (Exodus 25:9, 40).
From this vantage point, Jesus could see the plan of salvation laid out before Him, culminating in the not-so-distant future when He, from the same place, would experience its fulfilment. He would be brought 2,000 cubits to the temple just as the antitypical lamb was brought to the tabernacle in the wilderness.
“There was no mistake in the great message which came from heaven and meant so much to them, and yet this message was rejected and refused. Christ halts upon the crest of Olivet; the western sun is about to set behind Jerusalem, and when that sun which was gilding its towers should set, the day of Jerusalem was ended. Jesus, who knew the end from the beginning, knew what was before Him. Just at the foot of Olivet was Kidron and in sight was Calvary. He knew that the cross would be placed upon Calvary and that He would be stretched upon it. Was it this that forced the tears from the eyes of the Son of God? Was it this that caused His body to rock as a tree before the tempest? It was not the thought of His own agony, His suffering, His humiliation, His shame, that brought these tears; but it was the giving up of the people for whom God had done so much. And just according to the light which had shone upon them and which they had turned away from would be their punishment because of this rejection. Why, to give up one soul to perish is a terrible thing! One soul is accounted with God of more value than all the world beside. And here was a whole nation that was to be given up to destruction—a nation who would have passed their probation when they had crucified the Son of God.” –Letters and Manuscripts, Ms 7a, vol. 4, 1886
There was approximately five months between the incident of the forgiving of Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ trial which would take place near the very same place in the palace of the High Priest, Caiaphas. Yet, before His sacrifice, Jesus would journey the to the temple to preach to His chosen people once more about the true character of God—love and mercy.
When Jesus journeyed the 2,000 cubits to the Temple, what did He find? People hungering for the word of God. “People came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them.” John 8:2
Little did these people know what was about to happen in the near future, near that very same spot. This Teacher, who opened up to them the true meaning of His word, would soon become that Lamb that would take away the sins of the world.
Note the discontent of the scribes and Pharisees. Seeing the people flock to Jesus in His own temple, they became jealous, just as Lucifer did in the true temple in heaven. Thus, they drag in a woman that they say was caught in the very act of adultery in order to interrupt His teaching and test Jesus on the very law that He Himself dictated to Moses. But in this they neglected the higher moral law and its underlying spirit.
The people look on with interest. What would Jesus do? The proud scribes and Pharisees set the accused woman for all to see. No one is there to defend her. She has no hope.
In the very place where a lamb was sacrificed for sin for over 500 years, she now stands, hopeless. The scribes and Pharisees cry for blood, but Jesus stays silent. Without uttering a word He bends down to show them another type of blood. He begins to write the sins of her accusers on the ground.
“Impatient at His delay and apparent indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter upon His attention. But as their eyes, following those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His feet, their countenances changed. There, traced before them, were the guilty secrets of their own lives. The people, looking on, saw the sudden change of expression, and pressed forward to discover what it was that they were regarding with such astonishment and shame. . . . Now rising, and fixing His eyes upon the plotting elders, Jesus said, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ And stooping down, He continued writing on the ground. . . . They [the accusers] trembled lest the hidden iniquity of their lives should be laid open to the multitude; and one by one, with bowed heads and downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim with the pitying Saviour. . .
“Jesus arose, and looking at the
woman said, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’” –The Desire of Ages, p. 461
Jesus reveals that He is her Advocate. He is also the Advocate for every sinner on this earth. This includes everyone since, “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23. All are in need of a Saviour.
Near the very place of His upcoming trial, Jesus revealed the mercy of God. Just as His presence dwelt among His people through His shekinah glory on the mercy seat in the Most Holy place of the earthly Tabernacle, so also Jesus Himself was physically present on that day, though clothed in humanity. Instead of His presence being in the Holy of Holies in the Temple, He is in the court as the only Advocate of this woman. When Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” He did not dwell on her sin that was past and now forgiven. Rather, He pointed her to the future and her hope of glory.
Five months later Mary Magdalene, who had been an accused adulterer, a prostitute, having been healed of seven demons, would witness the sacrifice of Jesus while most of the disciples fled. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” John 19:25
On that same hill of Golgotha, which Jesus could see the morning that He set out to save the woman’s life, Mary Magdalene witnessed Jesus become the sacrificial Lamb—her surety. “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” Hebrews 7:22. By promise, Jesus had forgiven the woman that day and by action, He became the fulfilment of that promise, the true sacrificial Lamb.
Just as the priests carrying the Ark walked to the Jordan after spending three days at the river’s edge, Jesus now spends the same number of days in the tomb. Having been forgiven much, Mary Magdalene was the first and last at the tomb, weeping for her beloved and much missed Master.
“And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” John 20:14–17
Why could Mary not touch Jesus that resurrection morning? Jesus still had to finish a part of the sacrificial service. Just like the lamb was brought by the sinner before the Tabernacle, so Jesus was brought before the temple in the heavenly sanctuary.
Christ, the Creator of the universe, did not think of Himself too highly to humble Himself to become both priest and victim. He became, both the Mediator and the Lamb.
Just as the priest in Ancient Israel took the blood of the spotless lamb and sprinkled it upon the altar of incense in the earthly tabernacle, so Jesus took His own blood and presented it Himself at the altar of incense before our Heavenly Father in the Holy Place in Heaven.
Also, as the river parted when the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched the water, giving a dry path for the people to cross over, so Jesus opened up a pathway to heaven for the redeemed to cross over into the true Promised Land when He brought His own blood to the heavenly tabernacle.
As the people of Israel followed the Ark 2,000 cubits behind, in like manner the people of spiritual Israel will follow Jesus, the true High priest into the heavenly Canaan.
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
Let us not be satisfied by an empty dead religion; but let us follow Jesus upon the dry path that He has created into the Promised Land. Thus we will be lively stones as this woman became, who had no advocate but Jesus Himself. Let us offer up spiritual sacrifices so that they will be brought by Jesus to the altar of Incense in the heavenly Sanctuary. Amen.
John Formosa