Not only did the very PEOPLE who had waited so long for their Savior to come fail to recognize Him, BUT......
Their LEADERS - the high priest, the Pharisees, and Sanhedrin even conspired to have Him executed... (done away with - disregarded)

BECAUSE He (Jesus) challenged the... "prevailing RELIGIOUS SYSTEM". - Richard Stearns (The Hole in our Gospel)

Jesus' strongest denunciations were not directed at thieves, murderers, and adulterers, BUT at the "faith leaders" of the day......

The very men who had studied the Scriptures most (in today's terms, the pastors and seminary professors).

Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides, sons of hell, snakes, whitewashed tombs and a brood of vipers! - Richard Stearns (The Hole in our Gospel)

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden "these things" (Salvation in Christ, righteousness and the judgement to come) from the WISE and LEARNED, and revealed them to...." little children." (Matthew 11:25)