CH 1, ¶4

The production of a new religious institution was met with difficulty and danger. The system conflicted with every Jewish opinion. The Jews had persuaded themselves that there would be a greatly advantageous change in the condition of their nation, by the action of a long-awaited Messiah. This was not the belief of a few random people, but was a deeply engrained part of a whole nation. The Jews expected that their nation would be exalted above the rest of the world, but were deeply disappointed to see that this Messiah was to bring those whom they despised to equality with themselves. "The extending kingdom of God to those who did not conform to the law of Moses, was a notion that had never before entered into the thoughts of a Jew" (p. 48). (Tipton)