³ Jesus knew that most people would refuse to acknowledge him as the Messiah. (John 5:39-44) He told a group of disciples of John the Baptist: “Happy is the one who finds no cause for stumbling in me.” (Matt. 11:2, 3, 6) Why did so many reject Jesus?

(1) JESUS’ BACKGROUND

5. Why might some have concluded that Jesus could not be the foretold Messiah?

⁵ Many stumbled because of Jesus’ background. They admitted that Jesus was an amazing teacher and that he performed miracles. But to them, he was just the son of a humble carpenter. And he was from Nazareth, a city that may have been considered of little importance. Even Nathanael, who became a disciple of Jesus, at first said: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) Nathanael may have been unimpressed by the city in which Jesus then lived. Or he may have had in mind the prophecy found at Micah 5:2, which foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, not in Nazareth.

6. What should have helped people in Jesus’ day to identify Jesus as the Messiah?

⁶ What do the Scriptures say? The prophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus’ enemies would fail to concern themselves “with the details of [the Messiah’s] generation.” (Isa. 53:8) Many such details were prophesied. If those people had taken the time to examine all the facts, they would have learned that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that he was a descendant of King David. (Luke 2:4-7) So Jesus’ place of birth was in line with the prophecy found at Micah 5:2. What, then, was the problem? People were too quick to make a judgment. They did not have all the facts. Because of this, they were stumbled.

(2) JESUS REFUSED TO PERFORM SHOWY SIGNS

9. What happened when Jesus refused to display a sign from heaven?

⁹ Some in Jesus’ day were not satisfied with his amazing teachings. They wanted more. They demanded that he prove that he was the Messiah by displaying “a sign from heaven.” (Matt. 16:1) Perhaps they based this demand on a misunderstanding of Daniel 7:13, 14. However, it was not Jehovah’s time for that prophecy to be fulfilled. What Jesus was teaching should have been enough to convince them that he was the Messiah. But when he refused to give them the sign they were seeking, they were stumbled.​—Matt. 16:4.

10. How did Jesus fulfill what Isaiah wrote about the Messiah?

¹⁰ What do the Scriptures say? Of the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “He will not cry out or raise his voice, and he will not make his voice heard in the street.” (Isa. 42:1, 2) Jesus went about his ministry in a quiet and modest way. He did not build impressive temples, and he did not wear distinctive religious garments or demand to be addressed by pretentious religious titles. When he was on trial for his life, Jesus refused to try to impress King Herod by performing a sign for him. (Luke 23:8-11) Jesus did perform some miracles, but his main focus was on preaching the good news. “This is why I have come,” he told his disciples.​—Mark 1:38.

(3) JESUS DISREGARDED MANY JEWISH TRADITIONS

13. What caused many to condemn Jesus?

¹³ In Jesus’ day, the disciples of John the Baptist were puzzled because Jesus’ disciples did not fast. Jesus explained that they had no reason to fast while he was still alive. (Matt. 9:14-17) Even so, the Pharisees and other opposers of Jesus condemned him because he did not follow their customs and traditions. They got angry when he chose to heal sick ones on the Sabbath. (Mark 3:1-6; John 9:16) On the one hand, they piously claimed to honor the Sabbath; but on the other hand, they had no problem doing business in the temple. They were furious when Jesus condemned them for it. (Matt. 21:12, 13, 15) And those to whom Jesus preached in the synagogue in Nazareth were incensed when Jesus made unfavorable historical comparisons that exposed their selfishness and lack of faith. (Luke 4:16, 25-30) Jesus’ unexpected behavior caused many to stumble.​—Matt. 11:16-19.

14. Why did Jesus condemn human traditions that did not harmonize with the Scriptures?

¹⁴ What do the Scriptures say? Jehovah said through his prophet Isaiah: “This people approach me with their mouth and they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far removed from me; and their fear of me is based on commands of men that they have been taught.” (Isa. 29:13) Jesus was right in condemning human traditions that did not harmonize with the Scriptures. Those who put man-made rules and traditions above the Scriptures rejected Jehovah and the one whom he sent as the Messiah.

(4) JESUS DID NOT PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE POLITICAL SOLUTION

17. What expectations led many to stumble in Jesus’ day?

¹⁷ Some in Jesus’ day wanted an immediate political change. They expected the Messiah to free them from the rule of the Roman oppressors. But when they tried to make Jesus their king, he refused. (John 6:14, 15) Others​—including the priests—​were worried that Jesus would bring about a political change that would antagonize the Romans, who had granted those religious leaders a measure of power and authority. Such political concerns caused many Jews to stumble.

18. What Bible prophecies about the Messiah did many disregard?

¹⁸ What do the Scriptures say? Although many prophecies foretold that the Messiah would eventually be a victorious Warrior, other prophecies showed that he would first have to die for our sins. (Isa. 53:9, 12) So why did they have wrong expectations? Many in Jesus’ day disregarded any of the prophecies that did not promise immediate solutions to their problems.​—John 6:26, 27.