Would the leaders of Israel have crucified Jesus if they had known who He really was?
No. Had Israel's leaders—the high priest and Pharisees—known Jesus was the Son of God and Messiah, they would never have demanded His death. Their ignorance, shared by Rome's princes, led to the crucifixion, which still fulfilled God's eternal plan for salvation.
Les explains that the wisdom Paul speaks of was hidden from the princes of this world. They did not know Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel. Had the high priest and Pharisees known who Jesus of Nazareth really was, they would never have cried for His death. Pilate came close, finding no fault in Him and being warned by his wife's dream, but he did not see it and put his stamp on the crucifixion. Their ignorance led them to crucify Him, yet it was all part of God's eternal plan to purchase salvation for every human being who would respond.
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
More Questions
How close did Pilate come to recognizing who Jesus really was?
Pilate came close to seeing who Jesus was, since he found no fault in Him and his wife received a dream warning him not to touch this man, but he fell short, and so he also put his stamp on the crucifixion.
Did the Roman and Gentile rulers who crucified Jesus know who he was?
Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 2:8 shows the same ignorance principle applies to Rome and the Gentiles, not just Israel, because the princes of this world did not know and therefore would not have crucified the Lord of glory if they had known.
Why did the leaders of the world crucify Jesus?
Because the princes and leaders of the then-known world did not know who Jesus of Nazareth was, they went ahead and crucified Him.