The Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke this warning did not themselves believe the charge they brought against Him. There was not one of those dignitaries but had felt drawn toward the Saviour. They had heard the Spirit's voice in their own hearts declaring Him to be the Anointed of Israel, and urging them to confess themselves His disciples. In the light of His presence they had realized their unholiness, and had longed for a righteousness which they could not create. But after their rejection of Him it would be too humiliating to receive Him as the Messiah. Having set their feet in the path of unbelief, they were too proud to confess their error. And in order to avoid acknowledging the truth, they tried with desperate violence to dispute the Saviour's teaching. The evidence of His power and mercy exasperated them. They could not prevent the Saviour from working miracles, they could not silence His teaching; but they did everything in their power to misrepresent Him and to falsify His words. Still the convicting Spirit of God followed them, and they had to build up many barriers in order to withstand its power. The mightiest agency that can be brought to bear upon the human heart was striving with them, but they would not yield.

De farisæere, som Jesus gav denne advarsel, troede ikke selv på de beskyldninger, de fremkom med imod ham. Der var ikke en eneste af disse høje gejstlige, der ikke havde følt sig draget imod Frelseren. De havde hørt Åndens røst i deres egne hjerter erklære ham for at være Israels salvede og tilskynde dem til at bekende sig som hans disciple. I hans nærheds lys var de blevet klare over deres egen ugudelighed og havde længtes efter en retfærdighed, som de ikke selv kunne skabe. Men efter deres afvisning af ham ville det have været alt for ydmygende at erkende ham for at være Messias. Da de først var trådt ind på vantroens vej, var de alt for stolte til at indrømme deres vildfarelse, og for at undgå at anerkende sandheden prøvede de med fortvivlet voldsomhed at modbevise Frelserens lære. Beviserne på hans magt og barmhjertighed gjorde dem ude af sig selv. De kunne ikke hindre Frelseren i at gøre mirakler, de kunne ikke få ham til at lade være med at lære folket, men de gjorde alt, hvad der stod i deres magt, for at give et falsk billede af ham og forvanske hans ord. Endnu fulgte Guds overbevisende Ånd dem, og de måtte opbygge mange skranker for at kunne modstå dens magt. Den stærkeste kraft, der kan indvirke på et menneskehjerte, kæmpede med dem, men de ville ikke give efter.