[randog]

Is not Jesus referred to as the “stumbling stone”, a rock that causes men to fall? They stumble because they disobey the message, and busy themselves suppressing the message, or just nitpicking it to death.

People act funny when convicted of sin. Some will deny it outright, some will get self-righteous against their accuser, some will point out others' sin to diminish their own, and others will lawyer their way out (e.g., argue the meaning of the word "is").

Then there are those that will admit it and move on to the blessing of salvation. God is good.

[American Constitutionalist]

Jesus is only a stumbling stone, a rock of offence to those who are spiritually dead, and those who do not believe.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Then there are those that will admit it and move on to the blessing of salvation. God is good. "

That's actually what God was after when he asked Adam in the garden, where are you Adam ?
Of course God knew where he and Eve was.
What God was driving at was for Adam and Eve to come clean, to come to the point of admitting where they went wrong.
If Adam and Eve were to admit their sin, that's when God begins restoration, salvation.
That's the whole point of God's holy law, to point to man where they fall short, and turn to God ( repentance, to have a change of mind ) and receive restoration, salvation.
Only God can save, for if we could save ourselves then we would have no need of a saviour.
What God demands ? God's grace supplies.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
The religious leaders and Pharisees thought that they were OK in their own sight and self imposed standards, forgetting that God's holy law was also pointing to them, and every year ? that there was a thing called a blood sacrifice for the remission of sins.