Many among Christ's hearers who were dwellers at Jerusalem, and who were not ignorant of the plots of the rulers against Him, felt themselves drawn to Him by an irresistible power. The conviction pressed upon them that He was the Son of God. But Satan was ready to suggest doubt; and for this the way was prepared by their own erroneous ideas of the Messiah and His coming. It was generally believed that Christ would be born at Bethlehem, but that after a time He would disappear, and at His second appearance none would know whence He came. There were not a few who held that the Messiah would have no natural relationship to humanity. And because the popular conception of the glory of the Messiah was not met by Jesus of Nazareth, many gave heed to the suggestion, "Howbeit we know this Man whence He is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is."

Mange af Kristi tilhørere, som boede i Jerusalem, og som ikke var uvidende om rådsherrernes anslag imod ham, følte sig draget imod ham med uimodståelig kraft. Overbevisningen om, at han var Guds Søn, trængte sig ind på dem. Men Satan stod parat til at sprede tvivl i deres sind, og hertil var vejen beredt ved deres egne fejlagtige begreber om Messias og hans kamme. I almindelighed troede man, at Kristus skulle fødes i Betlehem, men at han efter en tids forløb atter ville forsvinde, og ved hans andet komme ville ingen vide, hvorfra han kom. Der var ikke så få, der mente, at Messias ikke ville have noget naturligt slægtskabsforhold til mennesker. Og da den populære opfattelse af Messias herlighed ikke blev imødekommet af Jesus fra Nazaret, var der mange, som bed mærke i denne tanke: "Dog om ham ved vi, hvorfra han er; men når Kristus kommer, ved ingen, hvorfra han er"