Mark 6:14-16 “And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.”
Today, as then, most people do not know who Jesus is. The wildest kind of speculation is put forth. Sadly, that wild speculation is then taken seriously by many people. When the authoritative Word of God is ignored or rejected, it leaves men with only their own absurd guesses.