The Pharisees' Trap

How was it a trap when the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus (John 8:1-11)? The law of Moses said both of those caught in adultery should be executed (the Pharisees had let the man go free), but the Roman government ruling the Jews did not allow them to execute anyone. Therefore Jesus would either be breaking Roman law or Jewish law. Jesus easily maneuvered his way out of the trap by pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees--they were looking for harsh punishment of a sinner even while sin filled their hearts. They didn't care about the woman's soul. Their only motivation was hatred for Jesus. But in the end note that Jesus did not condone the sin. This section concludes with Jesus telling the woman, "Go now and leave your life of sin."