Because the truth that Jesus was the Christ was part of God's hidden wisdom, and none of the world's rulers knew it.
Scripture says the rulers of this world did not know who Jesus was; had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Les Feldick explains that this was a mystery or secret kept in God's mind. Israel could have known from the Old Testament, but they refused to search the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 2:7 — This verse introduces the hidden wisdom of God that was ordained before the world, explaining why the rulers did not know.
1 Corinthians 2:8 — This is the direct answer: none of the princes of this world knew, or they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Micah 5:2 — The Old Testament showed where the Messiah would be born, proving the information was available to Israel.
Romans 11:25 — This verse reveals that Israel's blindness is a mystery, a part of God's hidden plan.
First Corinthians 2:7 says, But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Verse 8 continues, Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. This is Paul's explanation for why the rulers of the world did not recognize Jesus — the truth was hidden wisdom, and they did not know it. Romans 11:25 speaks of another mystery: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Meanwhile, Micah 5:2 had already revealed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, showing that the Old Testament did contain testimony about Him.
Les Feldick emphasizes that when Jesus presented Himself as King, Israel should have known who He was. The Old Testament was plain as day, but Israel did not know because they were unbelieving and refused to search the Scriptures. He uses the wise men's visit as proof: when Herod asked where the King of the Jews was born, the Jewish leaders had to go search the Old Testament and only then found Micah's prophecy of Bethlehem. Les applies this to 1 Corinthians 2:7-8. This was hidden wisdom, a secret kept in the mind of God. None of the princes of this world knew — not the Romans, not the high priests of Israel. Had they known who Jesus really was, they would never have crucified Him. Pilate came close when he said he found no fault in Jesus and after his wife's dream, but he still did not know. Les also teaches that this ignorance has a modern parallel. America is no better: Bibles are everywhere, but very few people understand the plan of salvation or see that the end times are near, because they do not want to know. Israel's failure was not because information was missing; it was because they did not want to learn.
Les says this meant Romans as well as Jewish leaders. None of the rulers of that world knew who Jesus was. Had the Romans really known Christ was the Creator, they would never have put Him on the cross; had the high priests known, they would not have allowed it. The high priests, the Pharisees, and Pilate all did not know who Jesus was.
Yes. Les says it was in the Old Testament plain as day, but Israel did not know because they refused to search the Scriptures. When the wise men asked where the King of the Jews was born, Herod's religious leaders did not know offhand; they had to go search and found Micah's prophecy that He would be born in Bethlehem. So the leaders of Israel could have known, but they did not bother to study.
Les teaches that although the rulers did not know who Jesus was, the rejection and crucifixion of Christ were all part of God's eternal plan for the ages. It had to happen in order to purchase the salvation of every human being who would respond.
Les says America is no better. There is not a man, woman, boy or girl in America who could not know the plan of salvation or that we are in the last days, but they do not know because they do not want to. They will not listen or learn because they do not want to know any better. This matches Israel's situation.
The mystery of Israel's blindness
Les explains that mystery means secret kept in God's mind until Paul, and that Israel's blindness is part of that secret until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
Israel should have known
Israel had the Old Testament testimony but did not know; even the priests had to search the Scriptures to find the prophecy of Bethlehem.
Israel could have searched
Israel could have known who Jesus was if they had studied the Scriptures, and Les applies the same failure to America today.
Had they known, they would not have crucified Him
Had the rulers of the world known who Jesus was, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
None of the princes of this world knew
None of the rulers — Roman or Jewish — knew who Jesus was; otherwise they would never have crucified Him.
Hidden wisdom and God's plan
Paul's hidden wisdom reveals that Christ's rejection and crucifixion were part of God's eternal plan to purchase salvation.
Israel and America both ignorant
The Old Testament was full of testimony about Christ, but Israel and America fail to know because they do not want to learn.
Pilate did not know
Pilate came close to recognizing Jesus but did not truly know who He was, so he put his stamp on the crucifixion.
1 Corinthians 2:7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
This shows that the truth about God's plan was hidden wisdom, not publicly known by the rulers.
1 Corinthians 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
This is the clearest scriptural answer to why the rulers of the world did not recognize Jesus.
Micah 5:2: But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This Old Testament prophecy revealed where the Messiah would be born, proving Israel could have known.
Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
This verse connects Israel's blindness to God's hidden mystery, which Les explains was kept secret until revealed to Paul.
Because the truth that Jesus is the Christ was part of God's hidden wisdom, a mystery kept in God's mind. Paul writes that none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).
Yes. Les Feldick says the Old Testament was full of testimony about Jesus, but Israel did not know because they refused to search the Scriptures. Even the religious leaders who answered Herod had to search and only then found in Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
No. Les says neither the Roman governors nor the high priests and Pharisees truly knew. Pilate came close — he found no fault in Jesus and had a dream from his wife — but he still put his stamp on the crucifixion because he did not know who Jesus was.
Watch the Teaching: The Mysteries Paul Revealed — Secrets Hidden Since the World Began