Little did the Jews realize the terrible responsibility involved in rejecting Christ. From the time when the first innocent blood was shed, when righteous Abel fell by the hand of Cain, the same history had been repeated, with increasing guilt. In every age prophets had lifted up their voices against the sins of kings, rulers, and people, speaking the words which God gave them, and obeying His will at the peril of their lives. From generation to generation there had been heaping up a terrible punishment for the rejecters of light and truth. This the enemies of Christ were now drawing down upon their own heads. The sin of the priests and rulers was greater than that of any preceding generation. By their rejection of the Saviour, they were making themselves responsible 619 for the blood of all the righteous men slain from Abel to Christ. They were about to fill to overflowing their cup of iniquity. And soon it was to be poured upon their heads in retributive justice. Of this, Jesus warned them:

Kun i ringe grad forstod jøderne det frygtelige ansvar, de påtog sig ved at forkaste Jesus. Lige fra dengang, hvor det første uskyldige blod blev udgydt, da Abel faldt for Kains hånd, har det samme stadig gentaget sig, og skylden er blevet større. Gennem alle tider har profeter hævet deres røst mod kongernes, herskernes og folkets synder og har talt de ord, som Gud indgav dem, og de har adlydt hans vilje med fare for deres liv. Fra slægt til slægt var der blevet ophobet en frygtelig byrde af straf til dem, der forkastede lyset og sandheden. Nu nedkaldte Kristi fjender den over deres egne hoveder. Præsternes og rådsherrernes synd var større end noget tidligere slægtleds synd. Ved deres forkastelse af Frelseren gjorde de sig ansvarlige for alle de retfærdige mænds blod, der var blevet dræbt, lige fra Abel til Kristus. Deres misgerningers skål var ved at blive fyldt, så den strømmede over, og snart skulle den udøses over deres hoveder med retfærdighedens gengældelse. Jesus sagde advarende ord til dem herom: