The Pierced My Hands

For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. 

Psalm 22:16-18 

God shows us Christ throughout the Old Testament. The whole of it is an elaborate preparation for the advent of the Son of God. Our text and the psalm from which it derives is a detailed description of the sufferings of Christ on the cross. Two significant parts of that description are the piercing of His hands and feet and that they gambled for His clothing. These remove all doubt as to whether Christ is in view in the Psalm. David could not have written a more exact account of the incident if he had been a literal eye witness to the crucifixion. Christ is articulating exactly what He is enduring. This argues powerfully for the inspiration of the Scriptures and that Christ is the central message of them. God wants us to behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. He wants us to gaze upon the dying Lamb Whose precious blood will never lose its power. Here we see the broken body and shed blood which the communion feast symbolizes. It is the will of God that we return often to the cross to appreciate more deeply the cost of our redemption. Christ is risen from the dead but we remember that it was an excruciating death that led Him to the grave from which He arose.  

Our Gracious God and Savior, 
we thank you that You have suffered so greatly for us. 
We praise You that with Your stripes,  
we are healed. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning