But the leaders of the people were offended, "and they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven?" They tried to arouse prejudice by referring scornfully to the lowly origin of Jesus. They contemptuously alluded to His life as a Galilean laborer, and to His family as being poor and lowly. The claims of this uneducated carpenter, they said, were unworthy of their attention. And on account of His mysterious birth they insinuated that He was of doubtful parentage, thus representing the human circumstances of His birth as a blot upon His history.

Men folkets ledere var krænkede, "og de sagde: Er det ikke Jesus, Josefs søn, hvis fader og moder vi kender? Hvordan kan han da sige: Jeg er kommen ned fra Himmelen?" De forsøgte at vække folkets fordom ved hånligt at hentyde til Jesu ringe herkomst. De kom med ringeagtende hentydninger til hans liv som en af Galilæas arbejdere og til hans familie, fordi den var fattig og ringe. De sagde, at denne uoplyste tømmermands påstande ikke var deres opmærksomhed værd. Og på grund af hans hemmelighedsfulde fødsel insinuerede de, at hans herkomst var tvivlsom, og således fremstillede de menneskelige omstændigheder ved hans fødsel som en plet på hans navn.