The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, particularly the nailing of His hands and feet to the cross, is a significant event in Christian theology, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and underscoring the sacrificial nature of His death. This entry explores the prophetic scriptures that foretell this aspect of the Messiah's suffering and their fulfillment in the New Testament.

Old Testament Prophecies

1. Psalm 22:16: This psalm, attributed to King David, is often regarded as a messianic prophecy due to its vivid depiction of suffering that parallels the crucifixion of Jesus. The verse states, "For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet." The imagery of piercing is particularly striking, as it prefigures the method of execution that would be used on Jesus, despite crucifixion not being a known practice in David's time.

2. Zechariah 12:10: This prophecy speaks of a future time when the inhabitants of Jerusalem will recognize the one they have pierced. "Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the residents of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son." This passage is seen as a foretelling of the crucifixion, where the piercing of the Messiah is a central element.

New Testament Fulfillment

1. John 19:18, 34-37: The Gospel of John provides a detailed account of the crucifixion, explicitly connecting it to Old Testament prophecy. "There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle." (John 19:18) Later, John notes the piercing of Jesus' side, fulfilling the prophecy from Zechariah: "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out... These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'They will look on the One they have pierced.'" (John 19:34-37)

2. Luke 24:39-40: After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and invites them to see and touch His hands and feet, providing tangible evidence of His crucifixion wounds. "Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39) This post-resurrection appearance underscores the reality of His crucifixion and the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning His suffering.

3. Acts 2:23-24: In Peter's sermon at Pentecost, he speaks of Jesus' crucifixion as part of God's predetermined plan, linking it to the fulfillment of prophecy. "He was handed over to you by God's set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches." This passage highlights the divine orchestration behind the events of the crucifixion, including the nailing of Jesus' hands and feet.

The prophetic scriptures concerning the piercing of the Messiah's hands and feet find their fulfillment in the New Testament accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. These prophecies and their realization in Christ's suffering and death are central to the Christian understanding of redemption and the fulfillment of God's salvific plan through Jesus Christ.Psalm 22:16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of ...
... definite and distinct were the Old Testament prophecies respecting the Birth of
Christ, that the ... call attention to one of the prophecies which declared ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter five the fulfilled prophecies.htm

Christ
... fulfils the types, the symbols and the prophecies of the ... not one self-respecting,
authoritative lip has uttered a ... "Our great God and Saviour"Jesus Christ.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/christ.htm

John xix. 16-18
... disciple concerning His mother, fulfilling prophecies, holding forth ... men imagining
nothing great respecting Him; but ... the grave, leaving [2524] Christ his heir. ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily lxxxv john xix 16-18.htm

The Meaning
... Now to that vision the remaining prophecies of the same ... it is unnecessary to add
a word more respecting it. ... Christ, the Son of Mary, was indeed truly raised to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the meaning 3.htm

The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff.
... miracles performed by him, and the prophecies fulfilled in ... is pregnant with the deepest
meaning respecting the counsel ... How did Christ bear all these little and ...
/.../the christ of the gospels.htm

part i
... You are the work of His hands: His most insignificant creature ... the second state,
the transgression of His holy laws ... your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm

part ii
... man is the beautiful work of God's hands; everything in ... It obliges me to always have
Christ in my thoughts and heart, always to have His spirit, throughout ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

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