When I speak at services where I do not have much time I try to outline my talk in simple, short sentences to convey why He was pierced. It goes like this: "God created mankind who then sinned against Him. Sin separated mankind from God. But God had a plan for our redemption. This plan required an ultimate sacrifice to take our place so we could be redeemed. The prophets told of the Messiah to come. Zechariah stated they would look on the one who was pierced and mourn for him as an only son. Jesus was born and fulfilled many prophesies foretold hundreds of years earlier not only during His ministry on earth but also in His death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
Jesus was rejected by His own people as the Messiah and was hung on an ugly cross to die for us. Jesus was crucified between two criminals. Jesus was pierced as He hung on the cross and both blood and water flowed freely from His side. Jesus died but arose from the grave on the 3rd day! Fifty days after His resurrection the Holy Spirit descended on the people. At Pentecost, God poured out the Holy Spirit to Jerusalem where many Jewish people were gathered. As the Holy Spirit was poured out many came to see what the uproar was! Peter presented the case for Jesus being the Christ and many were saved that day! The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was prophecy fulfilled! God still sends the Holy Spirit to refresh those who accept His only Son whom was pierced by those who would not believe! The Holy Spirit revives us and takes our dry, godless life and turns it into fertile ground where God’s love grows so we will share His love with others! Thomas said he would not believe in Jesus unless he placed his fingers in the nail wounds in His hands and in the side of Jesus where He was pierced by the soldier’s spear! Jesus appeared to Thomas. Thomas felt the wounds and exclaimed "My Lord and my God!"
You might ask "is Jesus Lord and God?" C. S. Lewis stated eloquently but bluntly: "A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
Why was Jesus pierced? Normally, if a crucified criminal did not die quickly enough, the soldiers would break his legs. With legs broken, the criminal could not push up with his feet. He would then hang from the cross and die because he could not breathe. Death on the cross most often came via suffocation. Jesus was pierced by the soldier to make sure Jesus was already dead. The soldier did not break the legs of Jesus for two reasons. First, the prophecy that none of the bones of the Messiah would be broken was fulfilled. Second, Zechariah’s statement many years prior: "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died."
My friends, whatever you believe, it is impossible to deny that Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Is your heart hardened and you cannot accept these facts? I pray not. When Jesus died on the cross and was pierced, the Roman soldier who had overseen the entire crucifixion said "Surely this man was righteous." He clearly saw Jesus was who He said He was. Do you?
One day we will all bow at His feet and profess Him as Lord. I believe that a revival is coming and many will mourn for the One who was pierced as they come to realize Jesus is truly the son of God. I do not need to place my hand in the side of the pierced One for me to believe but I believe the wounds in His hands, feet, and side will be seen by all! I hope you join me on that great day as a believer in the One whom they pierced.
Papa Joe Mac's Commentary:
When I speak at services where I do not have much time I try to outline my talk in simple, short sentences to convey why He was pierced. It goes like this: "God created mankind who then sinned against Him. Sin separated mankind from God. But God had a plan for our redemption. This plan required an ultimate sacrifice to take our place so we could be redeemed. The prophets told of the Messiah to come. Zechariah stated they would look on the one who was pierced and mourn for him as an only son. Jesus was born and fulfilled many prophesies foretold hundreds of years earlier not only during His ministry on earth but also in His death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
Jesus was rejected by His own people as the Messiah and was hung on an ugly cross to die for us. Jesus was crucified between two criminals. Jesus was pierced as He hung on the cross and both blood and water flowed freely from His side. Jesus died but arose from the grave on the 3rd day! Fifty days after His resurrection the Holy Spirit descended on the people. At Pentecost, God poured out the Holy Spirit to Jerusalem where many Jewish people were gathered. As the Holy Spirit was poured out many came to see what the uproar was! Peter presented the case for Jesus being the Christ and many were saved that day! The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was prophecy fulfilled! God still sends the Holy Spirit to refresh those who accept His only Son whom was pierced by those who would not believe! The Holy Spirit revives us and takes our dry, godless life and turns it into fertile ground where God’s love grows so we will share His love with others! Thomas said he would not believe in Jesus unless he placed his fingers in the nail wounds in His hands and in the side of Jesus where He was pierced by the soldier’s spear! Jesus appeared to Thomas. Thomas felt the wounds and exclaimed "My Lord and my God!"
You might ask "is Jesus Lord and God?" C. S. Lewis stated eloquently but bluntly: "A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
Why was Jesus pierced? Normally, if a crucified criminal did not die quickly enough, the soldiers would break his legs. With legs broken, the criminal could not push up with his feet. He would then hang from the cross and die because he could not breathe. Death on the cross most often came via suffocation. Jesus was pierced by the soldier to make sure Jesus was already dead. The soldier did not break the legs of Jesus for two reasons. First, the prophecy that none of the bones of the Messiah would be broken was fulfilled. Second, Zechariah’s statement many years prior: "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died."
My friends, whatever you believe, it is impossible to deny that Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Is your heart hardened and you cannot accept these facts? I pray not. When Jesus died on the cross and was pierced, the Roman soldier who had overseen the entire crucifixion said "Surely this man was righteous." He clearly saw Jesus was who He said He was. Do you?
One day we will all bow at His feet and profess Him as Lord. I believe that a revival is coming and many will mourn for the One who was pierced as they come to realize Jesus is truly the son of God. I do not need to place my hand in the side of the pierced One for me to believe but I believe the wounds in His hands, feet, and side will be seen by all! I hope you join me on that great day as a believer in the One whom they pierced.