This really is a tremendous indictment! The supreme Lord of glory was condemned to a death of supreme degradation and shame, and that not so much by the ignorant rabble as by the rulers of this age. The very superscription on His cross was written in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. The Greeks were incontestably the intellectual rulers of the age. The Romans were the rulers in matters of military prowess and the arts of government. The Hebrews were rulers without a rival in matters of religion. Yet all were involved in the crucifixion of the Lord of glory. All thereby revealed their complete ignorance of God, and all brought themselves beneath His judgment.

The rulers of this age “are coming to nothing.” Very humiliating! Not only is “the understanding of the prudent” coming to nothing (1 Cor. 1:19), but the rulers of this age themselves come to nothing. The final result, the sum total, of all the clever doings is nothing. The clever men themselves come to nothing. In contrast with this, we are told by the apostle John that “he who does the will of God abides forever,” and again we have the Lord’s words to His disciples that, “your fruit should remain.” The believer, and the believer only, has power to engage in that which will abide to eternity. Let us consider this very attentively, and may our lives be governed by our meditations!