The Religious Situation

The Jewish church, like the Christendom of to-day, was divided into many sects which were separated because of the different religious views. The Sadducee's were of the wealthiest class, and consequently, were the most influential with the Roman rulers, They also filled many leading positions. The philosophy of the Greeks, in their estimation, commanded higher respect than the Mosaic doctrines. They were fully satisfied with the Roman rule and in no way would interfere with it.

The Pharisees, on the contrary, were strictly addicted to the Mosaic system as it was explained by the scribes. As that doctrine embraced the coming of the Messiah, it was hard for them to dispose of such points in the prophecies as referred directly to the place where the coming Governor should be born. As they professed to believe in the prophecies and to be waiting for their fulfillment, they were called upon to answer the questions that arose among the people concerning the birth of Christ.

The city of Bethlehem was marked so plainly, as the birthplace of the king-child, that the believers in the prophecies could have no prejudice against that. But the mother of the child, not belonging to the higher class or to the sect of the Pharisees, was an object of suspicion in their minds. When Christ finally began his mission in Galilee—a hilly frontier country, inhabited by a mixed race—those suspicions took the form of hatred and despite in the minds of both the Sadducee's and the Pharisees, and they concluded that he was an impostor.