Meantime, the Jews assembled at Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, seem to have been disappointed at not seeing Jesus there; and enquired, "Where is he?" And "there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him, for fear of the Jews." The people had seen His miracles, and heard His teaching; but all that they knew of His condition in life was so unlike what they had expected of the Messiah, that they could not make up their minds to acknowledge Him as the Son of God. They could not understand all He said, for He spake of spiritual things,--things belonging to the kingdom of heaven, which can be understood only by those who give their whole heart to God. Some of these people, seeing His holiness, allowed that He was a good man. Others objected to His being called "good," because He tried to make people acknowledge Him as the Messiah, which, according to their ideas, was deceiving the people. But even those who were most inclined to believe in Him, dared not speak openly in His favour, for fear of displeasing the Jewish rulers, who were violently opposed to Him. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted for eight days; and in the middle of it Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, and immediately "went up into the temple, and taught." His teaching greatly astonished all the learned men, who knew that He had never been taught in any of the schools of the Scribes; and they wondered how He could know so much of the books of the Law and of the Prophets. Jesus told them plainly, that what He taught He had learnt not from man, but from God Himself; and He further said, that if any man were really desirous to do the Will of God, he would be enabled to believe that all He taught was true. Other things He said; but though His teaching might incline some of the people to believe, they had got some idea that, when the Messiah came, nothing would be known of His parents; and therefore they settled that it was impossible He could be that Messiah. "We know this man whence he is; but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." Jesus tried to show them that they were in error; for though they knew where He was born, as man, and who His earthly parents were, this should not prevent their believing that He was indeed sent by God, and had another nature and being, of which they knew nothing. "Many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" They doubted whether any one could do _more_ than Jesus had done: if not, then the only reasonable conclusion would be, that He _must_, indeed, be the Christ, the promised Messiah.