“No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.”
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NLT
How grateful we must be for God’s Secret Plan, the mystery of God, and the Message of the Cross. Through them all, they all came to fruition on the fateful “Good Friday” when Jesus lost His life in terrible circumstances. Why did God allow it to happen? Because it was all in His plan, established before the foundation of the world, the plan that would lead to “our ultimate glory”. We know that the plan, involving His secret wisdom, would make it possible for our sin to be forgiven by Christ’s death instead of our own and for us to be declared righteous based on Christ’s righteousness and not our own. Paul wrote, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory” (Romans 8:29-30). In fact, the saints in previous generations used to describe what would happen to them after they die, as being “elevated to Glory”, using a definition of Heaven to describe what will happen after they crossed the Great Divide. God’s plan for us wasn’t just about forgiveness of sins, important as that is, but it also involved giving each one of us Jesus’ righteousness and glory. And all planned and kept secret “before the world began”.
Paul saw the irony of the situation and said that if the “rulers of this world” knew what they were doing, they would not have allowed Jesus to be crucified. The devil thought that by killing the Son of God he would win the final battle in his tussle with the God who evicted him from Heaven. But how wrong he was. He must have heard the times when Jesus predicted His death, with scriptures like John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life“. He must have read Psalm 22:16b, “ … They have pierced my hands and feet”. We know that the devil knew his Bible because he quoted from it during Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. But he of course knew nothing about God’s Secret Plan and the final outcome that would defeat death once and for all. No believer in Jesus, no-one who was a chosen child of God, will ever experience the finality of death at the end of their lives. Instead, as Jesus promised, they will live forever, ruling and reigning with Him.
But who were these “rulers of this world”? They divided into two camps, spiritual and natural, with one being influenced by the other. Paul wrote about the spiritual rulers in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places“. These were the rulers that Paul warned believers in Ephesus about, and by implication, believers who have lived ever since. As we know from Ephesians 6, Paul used the pieces of armour worn by the Roman soldiers sent to guard him in prison, as a template for the spiritual armour God has supplied for our defence. But these “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” were behind the natural rulers, the Roman authorities and the Jewish scribes, lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees. It is interesting to note that God’s plan was nearly thwarted by the Roman Governor, Pilate, when Jesus was brought before him. He had the power to release Jesus but instead he bottled it because of the baying mob before him. Pilate was in a difficult position and frightened witless by the situation before him. John played down Pilate’s reaction in John 19:8, stripping out the emotion, “When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever”. We know from another Gospel that his wife had warned him not to have anything to do with Jesus’ sentencing, and in John 19:10, we read, ““Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realise that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”” Jesus’ reply convinced him that He was innocent, and Pilate tried to release Him, but to no avail. God’s plan came to fruition and many people present at that time will find themselves having to give an account as to why they demanded the crucifixion of the very One who was sat on the throne before them, the One we know as the Saviour of the World. We don’t have time to review the role of Judas in all this, another pawn in God’s Secret Plan.
What about the “rulers of this world” today? They are still trying to frustrate the Plan set up by God “before the world began”. Just in the UK, we find legislation passed to murder innocent pre-birth babies in a direct challenge to one of God’s laws. We find legislation passed to approve marriages between people of the same sex, again in contravention of God’s definition and requirements for Holy Matrimony. Do they not understand what they are doing? God’s Plan has still some way to go because Jesus has not yet returned to rule and reign this world (Revelation 20:4). At this time the devil will be locked away for a thousand years and Jesus will govern this world along with the believers who have prevailed to the end. And at this time the “rulers of this world”, spiritual and natural, will have no say at all. Perfect government with Jesus the King.
So what do we pilgrims think of all this, and how do we live in these dark times, in our sad, mad and bad world? Paul set out our response to our leaders in Romans 13:1-2 and the verses following, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished“. Hard as it is for some to accept, there is a Higher Power at work in the world, and in our lives, and we must be obedient to our rulers. We may look on in dismay as they make an absolute hash of government, thrashing around apparently with no idea of what they are doing, lacking any sort of moral compass, and unaware that there is One in Heaven who can give them the correct guidance, if only they asked. But we remember it was God who allowed them to be there. Romans 13:4, “The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong“. It is extremely comforting to know that God is still the ultimate King and He is still occupying His throne.
So we pilgrims pray for our rulers and authorities, for those who govern our lands. We pray for God’s people everywhere, especially those who are being persecuted for their faith. And we pray for ourselves and our families, that we will all be kept safe from the evil one. We remember that we live “under the shadow of [God’s] wings”. There is no better place to be.
Dear Heavenly and Glorious Father. We thank You that You hold the whole world in Your hands, and that nothing happens unless You have allowed it. We pray for opportunities to share Your Plan with those around us so that they too will come to know Jesus, the One crucified. And we praise and worship You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 