11.3: Why Not Everyone Gets the Good News of the Salvation of Jesus

<p>For the longest time after I became a <a href="https://giselleaguiar.com/2020/06/22/truth-what-does-being-born-again-to-be-saved-really-mean/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">born-again</a> believer in Jesus Christ, I couldn’t understand why the Jewish people &nbsp;didn’t get it. Some time ago, I attended a memorial service for a &nbsp;colleague who was Jewish. It was in a Reformed Jewish Temple. The &nbsp;Reformed Jews are the most liberal of the Jewish denominations. The lady &nbsp;rabbi read from the psalms that I knew, but other than that, they &nbsp;expected that the deceased was in heaven with God. I’m sorry to say, I &nbsp;don’t think so — not unless he had a last minute death-bed &nbsp;acknowledgement of Jesus and repented of his sins. Nothing is impossible &nbsp;with God. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203%3A8%2D10&amp;version=NIV" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but to come to repentance</a>.</p> <p>I felt like a saltwater fish in a freshwater pond. I left as soon as &nbsp;it was over, not staying for the reception. But, that got me thinking — &nbsp;why don’t the Jews get that <a href="https://giselleaguiar.com/2020/01/19/the-jewish-jesus-prophecies-fulfilled/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Jesus is their Messiah</a>, too? Then I read 2 Corinthians 3 and the <a href="https://giselleaguiar.com/2020/10/06/what-are-the-7-roles-of-the-holy-spirit/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Holy Spirit</a> revealed the answer to me. It’s funny how He does that. I’ve read this &nbsp;chapter several times, but it was this time, after visiting that Jewish &nbsp;Temple, that the Spirit allowed me to get it.</p> <p>Jesus told us that there would be people who heard the word, but not accept it. (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13&amp;version=NLT" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Parable of the Sower</a>) He said…</p> <blockquote>Matthew 13:11-12 NLT“You are permitted to under