“Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back — and I would heal them.…….But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”” Matthew 13:10-15, 23 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/mat.13.10-23.CSB

Predestination? Jesus’ teachings were not easily understood by everyone. While the disciples could comprehend His message, others were confused and unconvinced about who Jesus was and why He had come. This is a testament that despite God’s love for everyone, not everyone will be saved. Many people ignore the teachings of the Bible and believe that all are inherently good and will be accepted by God, but this is not what the Scripture teaches. Even the disciples had difficulty understanding Jesus’ teachings at times. However, the crucial difference between them and the masses was their commitment to Jesus. Despite their struggles, the disciples followed Jesus and ultimately gave their lives in service to Him. This commitment to obedience is the true measure of our love for and relationship with Jesus. The test of our eternal destiny will not be based on what we know but rather on what we did with the knowledge of God that we had. Jesus came to earth from the Father to become the Savior of the world, and He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father so that He could be the perfect sacrifice and eternal Savior. To truly obey God, we must first know Him. But it is only through our obedience to God we prove our love for Him and become members of His family.