There is nothing new about rumors and people being convinced of things that aren’t true:

One time, when Jesus was praying in a quiet place with his disciples nearby, he came over to them and asked, “Who do people think I am?” They answered, “Some are convinced you’re the prophet John who has returned. Others say you are Elijah, or perhaps one of the Jewish prophets brought back from the dead.” (Luke 9:18-19 (Passion Translation)

These are people who had seen Jesus, experienced Jesus, maybe even been healed by Jesus. As is indicated in the next verse, he hadn’t told them his identity yet:

Jesus asked them, “But who do you believe that I am?”Peter said, “You are the Anointed One, God’s Messiah!” Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone yet, saying, “The Son of Man is destined to experience great suffering and face complete rejection by the Jewish leaders and religious hierarchy. He will be killed and raised back to life on the third day.” (Luke 9.20 – 22, Passion Translation)

He did tell a few people: the disciples, the woman at the well in John 4, the blind man in John 9. The demons in Mark 5 (Luke 8) knew. But if too many people knew, the Jewish leaders would have had a hard time crucifying him – the very reason he came.

If someone is convinced of something that is false, how do they become unconvinced of that and convinced of the truth? The high school student I’m tutoring in math did it again. He thought that 10.5 squared plus 17 squared equals 37.5 squared, which it doesn’t (take out your calculator and check!). I said, “Son, I hate it when you do that.” So we did the arithmetic and then the algebra of (a plus b)-squared equals a-squared plus b-squared plus 2ab. Will that be enough? A rebuke and two demonstrations? Or will he revert to his own ideas again?

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1.11, KJV)

Everyone has an opinion, and they think they have a right to that opinion and that it’s just as likely to be right as anyone else’s. But there is truth. Math works a certain way. Jesus really is the Anointed One, God’s Messiah. But his mission was not the one people thought it should be. There’s another mismatch. This is why there were a lot of crowds during his ministry and only 120 in the upper room.

And part of the “greater works” that I wrote about a few days ago is that thousands of people believed after Jesus ascended. Only 120 believed while he was here. The work can be done. It has been done down through history. 

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.33, ESV)

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” (Acts 24.24, 25, ESV – we don’t know what happened to Felix after this and subsequent conversations)