Jesus was crucified by the Romans because neither the Jewish leaders nor the Roman rulers knew He was the Lord of glory — had they known, they would never have crucified Him.
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that none of the princes of this world knew who Christ really was; had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Les Feldick points out that both Israel's leaders and Rome acted in ignorance, and that Psalm 2 predicted Jew and Gentile would conspire together to kill the Messiah. Yet ultimately no Jew or Roman took Jesus' life — He gave it up of His own will.
1 Corinthians 2:8 — Paul explicitly says the rulers of this world did not know who Jesus was, for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory — this directly explains the ignorance behind the crucifixion.
Psalm 2:2 — The psalm prophesies that the kings of the earth and rulers would take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed, showing the Jewish and Gentile conspiracy at the crucifixion.
Acts 7:57-58 — This passage records the Jewish stoning of Stephen, showing that stoning was a Jewish form of execution permitted under Rome's tolerance of their religious system.
First Corinthians 2:8 states plainly that none of the princes of this world knew the hidden wisdom of God: "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." This verse attributes the crucifixion to ignorance among the ruling authorities of that age. Psalm 2:2 describes a conspiracy against God's anointed: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying," pointing to both Gentile rulers and Israel's rulers joining together against the Messiah. Acts 7:57-58 records a stoning carried out by the Jewish crowd when Stephen was cast out of the city and killed. The passage shows that stoning was a death inflicted within the Jewish religious context in that period.
Les Feldick takes the position that the crucifixion happened because the rulers did not know who Jesus was. He says the high priest, the Pharisees, and Pilate had no comprehension that Jesus was the Creator, God of the universe — had they known, they would never have cried for His death or allowed Him to be put on the cross. Pilate came close to seeing the truth through his wife's dream and his own declaration that he found no fault in the man, but he did not know, and so he put his stamp on the crucifixion. Les also stresses that the crucifixion was not a purely Jewish or purely Roman act. Psalm 2, he says, describes Israel's rulers and the kings of the earth consorting together to put the Messiah to death; Jew and Gentile together crucified Christ. This was all in God's foreknowledge — Jesus told the twelve exactly what would happen and had known it from eternity past. At the same time, Les notes that Rome permitted the Jews to handle their own religious system, so the Jews could stone their own religious offenders, as in Stephen's case. In Jesus' case, Israel demanded His death and Rome pounded the spikes into His hands. But Les makes clear that no Jew or Roman ultimately took Jesus' life — He gave it up of His own will.
No. Les Feldick shows from 1 Corinthians 2:8 that the princes of this world — the Jewish leaders and Rome alike — did not know who Jesus was. Had the high priest or the Pharisees known that Jesus was the Creator, God of the universe, they would never have cried for His death. Pilate almost saw it through his wife's dream and his own statement that he found no fault in the man, but he did not know, and so he put his stamp on the crucifixion.
Yes. Les says Psalm 2 was fulfilled when the rulers of Israel and the kings of the earth consorted together and put the Messiah to death. Israel's leaders and Rome together crucified Him; it was not Israel alone. Israel demanded His death, and Rome provided the execution.
Les observes that under Roman government, the Jews were allowed to handle their own religious system, and they were permitted to kill their own in the name of their religion — as when Stephen was cast out of the city and stoned. So stoning was a Jewish form of execution that Rome did not interfere with. But in Jesus' case, the Jewish leaders demanded His death before Rome, and Rome crucified Him.
Paul states plainly that had they known who Christ was, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Les says the Jewish leaders and Rome did not know, and that is exactly why the crucifixion happened. At the same time, God was never caught by surprise — it was all in His foreknowledge, and Jesus had told His disciples in advance what was coming.
Why the Church Age Is Hidden in the Old Testament
God does not tell us everything back here in Genesis. But He reveals things as we come on up through time, as we know it. Alright, now if you'll Deuteronomy 29. And there are more verses of course, scattered throughout the Scripture that bring about this same concept. And then when you get to the letters of Paul, the word that he uses profusely through his letters, is the word, mystery.
Jewish Leaders and Pilate Did Not Know
Les explains that had the high priest, the Pharisees, or Pilate known who Jesus really was, they would never have cried for His death. Pilate came close through his wife's dream and his 'no fault' statement, but he still did not know, so he put his stamp on the crucifixion.
The Princes of This World Did Not Know
Les emphasizes that both Rome and Israel were ignorant of who Jesus was. Had they known He was the Lord of glory, they would not have put Him on the cross.
Ignorance as an Escape Route for Israel
Les says the Jewish leaders and Rome did not know who Jesus was, and Peter later used their ignorance as an escape route for Israel — while still holding Israel guilty of rejecting their Messiah.
Jews Were Allowed to Stone Their Own
Les notes that Rome permitted the Jews to handle their own religious system, so Jews could kill their own religious offenders, as in Stephen's stoning. Rome did not interfere in those Jewish situations.
Jew and Gentile Conspired in God's Foreknown Plan
Les says Psalm 2 predicted that Israel's rulers and the kings of the earth would consort together to kill the Messiah. God was not caught by surprise — Jesus told His disciples exactly what would happen and had known it from eternity past.
Israel Demanded, Rome Executed
Les describes how Israel demanded His death while Rome pounded the spikes into His hands, and how God, in sovereign mercy, poured out mercy on the whole human race as Christ hung on the cross.
Christ Gave Up His Life Willingly
Les emphasizes that no Jew or Roman took Jesus' life — He gave it up of His own will. Israel nevertheless suffered for rejecting their Messiah, yet God has promised to fulfill all His promises to their forefathers.
1 Corinthians 2:8: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 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 key verse explaining that the rulers of that age crucified Jesus because they did not know who He was.
Psalm 2:2: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
This verse describes the conspiracy of earthly rulers and Israel's rulers against God's anointed Messiah.
Acts 7:57-58: But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
This passage demonstrates that Jewish stoning was a death the Jews could carry out within their own religious sphere under Rome's tolerance.
Les notes that the Jews were allowed by Rome to handle their own religious system and to stone their own religious offenders, as in Stephen's case. But in Jesus' case, the Jewish leaders demanded His death before Rome, and Rome carried out the crucifixion. The rulers did not know He was the Lord of glory, so they crucified Him.
Les says Pilate came close — he declared he found no fault in Jesus and received a dream warning from his wife — but he did not know who Jesus truly was. Because he did not know, he put his stamp on the crucifixion.
No. Les says it was all in God's foreknowledge. Jesus told the twelve in advance that He would be scourged, beaten, put to death, and raised on the third day; He knew it from eternity past.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Church Age Is Hidden in the Old Testament