What does Romans 10:1 mean?

Paul strikes a new tone as chapter 10 begins. He directly addresses his brothers and sisters: the Christians in Rome to whom he is writing this letter. He calls them siblings because they are all Christians. Paul is speaking of the Israelites. In addition to a Christian and a Roman citizen, Paul is also Jewish. He writes that his heart's desire and his prayer is that the Jewish people may be saved.

Some Jews have come to faith in Christ through the preaching of Paul and the other apostles. Yet the nation as a whole has rejected the Messiah, including the Jewish religious leadership. Sadly, this is still the case in the modern era. Further, the Jewish people of Paul's day not only rejected Christ, they tried to silence Paul and others who preached about Him. That doesn't change Paul's desire to see those same people come to Christ, however.