Why Did Jesus Write on the Ground?

There's an interesting connection to the Old Testament.

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One time, during a heated discussion, Jesus started drawing with His finger in the dirt.

While speculation abounds, we have no idea what He wrote in the dirt.

But a fascinating Old Testament connection might help explain why He wrote in the dirt.

The context of when Jesus wrote in the dirt.

Here’s what happened when Jesus wrote on the ground.

And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 7:53-8:11)

It’s a pretty straightforward scene - the scribes and Pharisees bring Jesus a woman they claimed had been caught in the “very act” of adultery. Their purpose in bringing her to Jesus was to test - or trap - Him so they could bring charges against Him.

Jesus acts like He didn’t hear them - which is hilarious because they are obviously making a big scene in the middle of His teaching. The Lord stoops down and writes with His finger on the ground.

When the scribes and Pharisees continue to press the issue, the Lord stands up and says, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then the Lord returns to writing on the ground with His finger.

The scribes and Pharisees were “convicted by their conscience” and left from the oldest to the youngest.

The Lord sees the woman has been left alone and tells her that He does not condemn her. He warns her to “go and sin no more.”

So, why did Jesus write on the ground?

It’s entirely possible that the Lord wrote on the ground as part of His “pretending” as if He didn’t hear the scribes and Pharisees.

But there may be another reason - and this reason is connected to a passage in the Old Testament. Here’s the passage:

O LORD, the hope of Israel,

All who forsake You shall be ashamed.

“Those who depart from Me

Shall be written in the earth,

Because they have forsaken the LORD,

The fountain of living waters.” (Jeremiah 17:13)

This passage mentions that those who “depart” from the LORD “shall be written in the earth.” But there’s another connection to something John had just written before our main text in John 8.

On the last day, that great day of the feast [the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles- John 7:2], Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

Jesus spoke of Himself as the One who gives “living water” (John 4:10, 13-14). The ones to come to Him “shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

When the scribes and Pharisees try to trap Jesus to bring a charge against Him, they demonstrate that “they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.”

Although the scribes and Pharisees claimed to care deeply about the Law of God and to serve God faithfully - by their rejection of Jesus, they had forsaken God and turned away from the one who offered “living water.”

So, it’s entirely possible that Jesus stopped to write in the dirt as an illustration of Jeremiah 17:13.

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