1. The Expectation of a Conquering King
In the first century, Israel was under the iron thumb of the Roman Empire. Based on their reading of certain prophecies (like those in Daniel and Zechariah), they expected the Messiah to be a military and political deliverer who would:
- Overthrow the Romans.
- Restore the Davidic throne in Jerusalem.
- Establish a global kingdom of peace with Israel at the head.
When Jesus appeared, he did not raise an army. He taught his followers to “Love your enemies” and to “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21 KJV). To a people desperate for revolution, a “Suffering Servant” who allowed Himself to be arrested seemed like a failure, not a Savior.
2. The Violation of Oral Tradition
The religious leaders (the Scribes and Pharisees) had created a massive system of “fences” or man-made laws around the Torah. Jesus consistently bypassed these traditions to get to the heart of the Law.
- The Sabbath: He healed on the Sabbath, which the Pharisees viewed as “work.”
- Purity: He ate with “publicans and sinners,” which the leaders saw as a violation of ceremonial holiness.
- Authority: He taught as one having authority, not as the scribes (Matthew 7:29), which threatened their social and religious monopoly.
3. The Charge of Blasphemy
The ultimate breaking point was Jesus’ claim to divinity. To the Jewish leaders, who were strictly monotheistic, the idea of God becoming a man was the highest form of blasphemy.
- When Jesus said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30 KJV), the Jews took up stones to kill him.
- During his trial, the High Priest asked if he was the Son of God. When Jesus affirmed it, the priest rent his clothes and declared, “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?” (Matthew 26:65 KJV).
4. Fear of Roman Retaliation
The Jewish leadership (the Sanhedrin) was in a delicate political position. They were allowed to govern their own people as long as there was no civil unrest. They feared that Jesus’ popularity would spark a Roman crackdown.
“If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.” — John 11:48 (KJV)
5. The “Stumblingstone” of the Cross
To the Jewish mind, a “cursed” death on a tree (crucifixion) was proof that someone was rejected by God. They could not reconcile a crucified man with the glorious Messiah of the prophets. Paul later explained this in the epistles:
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” — 1 Corinthians 1:23 (KJV)
The rejection was a result of looking for an earthly solution to a spiritual problem. The leaders wanted a King to change their circumstances; God sent a Savior to change their hearts.