How did the people to whom Christ announced his mission, receive the words he had spoken? Under the influence of the Spirit of God, conviction fastened upon their minds, and they witnessed to the gracious words that came from his lips. But Satan was not willing to let his captives go. They had long been bound under a misconception of the character of God, and he now worked with intense energy to fasten them in unbelief. Doubt sowed the seed of unbelief, and they repudiated Christ, refused his words, and closed the door of their heart to the gracious blessing he was ready to impart. Their hearts were filled with the spirit of Satan and his angels, and the people thrust him out of the synagogue, and would have cast him down from the side of the hill; but the angels of God preserved him, that he might do his appointed work.

Hvordan tog de folk, som Jesus erklærede sin mission over for, imod de ord han sagde? Under Guds Ånds indflydelse, fæstnede overbevisningen sig i deres sind, og de bevidnede grasiøse ord som kom fra hans læber. Men Satan var ikke villig til at lade sin fanger gå. De har længe været bundet af en forkert opfattelse af Guds karakter, og han arbejdede nu med stor kraft for at fæstne dem i vantro. Tvivl såede vantroens frø, og de fornægtede Kristus, afviste hans ord, og lukkede deres hjertes dør for den rasiøe velsignelse han var parat til at videregive. Deres hjerter var fyldt med ånden fra Satan og hans engle, og folk uden for synagogen stolede på ham, og ville kaste ham ned fra bakkeskrænten; men Guds engle bevarede ham, så han kunne gøre sit bestemte arbejde.