Unnaccepted

Matt 2:1-4
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he {began} to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.(NAS)

These verses are interresting. I find it odd that as soon as Jesus was born that all of Jerusalem was troubled. Maybe they were troubled because when Herod was unhappy, bad things happened, but I'm not sure.

Even from the beginning Jesus was not well received as the Messiah, even when he was believed to be the Messiah.

33 years later, things weren't much better. The same people who brought Jesus into the city with shouts of hosannah and laying of palm branches shouted to have Him crucified. God's chosen people had rejected His Messiah.

Even now things aren't much different. There are many who don't believe in God at all or Jesus as anything more than a "nice guy." Then there are those who believe in Jesus and what He did and still refuse to accept Him. The cost of giving up their lives is just too high to save their lives in their eyes.

Matt 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.(NAS)