Why do people refuse to believe in Jesus?

This is a complex question that can have many answers to it.  But the simple answer that would pretty well blanket all who refuse to accept the truth is that they do not want to give up their status, power, or lay down their pride.  The Pharisees of Jesus’ day refused to accept Him as the Messiah because they did not want to give up their power and status (Matthew 23).  It has been asked with all the evidence out there, why people still refuse to accept Jesus?  But the problem is not in the evidence or the amount of it.  The problem is the fact that people make a decision to deny the evidence because they want to be in control of their lives and do not want to give control over to God.  If people refuse to believe they will not be convinced no matter how much evidence is presented.