Jesus had commenced his work by striking directly at the selfish, avaricious spirit of the Jews, showing that while professing to be the children of Abraham they refused to follow his example. They were zealous for an external appearance of righteousness while they neglected internal holiness. They were sticklers for the letter of the law, while they grossly transgressed its spirit every day. The law forbade hatred and theft, yet Christ declared that the Jews had made his Father’s house a den of thieves. The great necessity of the people was a new moral birth, a removal of the sins that polluted them, a renewal of true knowledge and genuine holiness. {2SP 130.1}

Jesus havde begyndt sin gerning med at straffe jødernes egennyttige, gerrige ånd og han viste dem, at medens de bekendte sig til at være Abrahams børn, undlod de at følge hans eksempel. De var nidkære for at vise et skin af retfærdighed, medens de efterlod indvortes hellighed. De var meget påstålige angående lovens bogstav, medens de groft overtrådte lovens ånd hver dag. Loven forbød had, røveri og tyveri; men Kristus erklærede, at jøderne havde gjort hans faders hus til en røverkule. Det, som folket især trængte til, var, at de i moralsk henseende blev født på ny, og at sand kundskab og hellighed blev fornyet iblandt dem.