Many who were convinced that Jesus was the Son of God were misled by the false reasoning of the priests and rabbis. These teachers had repeated with great effect the prophecies concerning the Messiah, that He would "reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously;" that He would "have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Isa. 24:23; Ps. 72:8. Then they made contemptuous comparisons between the glory here pictured and the humble appearance of Jesus. The very words of prophecy were so perverted as to sanction error. Had the people in sincerity studied the word for themselves, they would not have been misled. The sixty-first chapter of Isaiah testifies that Christ was to do the very work He did. Chapter fifty-three sets forth His rejection and sufferings in the world, and chapter fifty-nine describes the character of the priests and rabbis.

Mange, der var overbevist om, at Jesus var Guds Søn, blev vildledt af præsternes og de skriftkloges falske tankegang. Disse lærere havde med stor virkning gentaget profetierne om Messias, at "han er konge på Zions bjerg, i Jerusalem; for hans ældstes øjne er herlighed"; at "fra hav til hav skal han herske, fra floden til jordens ender". Es. 24,23; Sl. 72,8. Så fremkom de med ringeagtende sammenligninger mellem den herlighed, der her var skildret, og Jesu fattige skikkelse. Selve profetiens ord blev så forvanskede, at de retfærdiggjorde vildfarelsen. Hvis folket i oprigtighed selv havde gransket ordet, ville de ikke være blevet vildledt. Kapitel 61 hos Esajas vidner om, at Kristus netop skulle gøre den gerning, han gjorde. Kapitel 53 forkynder hans forkastelse og lidelser i denne verden, og kapitel 59 beskriver præsternes og de skriftkloges egenskaber.