“They will look to the one whom they pierced, and they will wail over him as they would wail over an only son; and they will grieve bitterly over him as they would grieve over a firstborn son”
(Zechariah 12:10)
The apostle John, in his Gospel, testified to the fulfillment of this prophecy regarding Jesus Christ at the time of his death:
« Since it was the day of Preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the torture stakes on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath day was a great one), the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and those of the other man who was on a stake alongside him. 33 But on coming to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers jabbed his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And the one who has seen it has given this witness, and his witness is true, and he knows that what he says is true, so that you also may believe. 36 In fact, these things took place for the scripture to be fulfilled: “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 37 And again, a different scripture says: “They will look to the one whom they pierced” » (John 19:31-37).
« Well, eight days later his disciples were again indoors, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and he stood in their midst and said: “May you have peace.” 27 Next he said to Thomas: “Put your finger here, and see my hands, and take your hand and stick it into my side, and stop doubting but believe” » (John 20:26,27).
These two texts show that Christ’s body has been pierced by the spear of a Roman soldier. The Book of Apocalypse also mentions this fulfillment concerning Christ’s body:
« Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief because of him. Yes, Amen » (Apocalypse 1:7).
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It is obviously God, the Heavenly Father (YHWH (the exact vocalization is Yehouah), however the common vocalization « Jehovah » is maintained on all articles on this page, just like the more well-known vocalization of « Jesus Christ », which should be vocalized Yoshuah or Yehoshuah Mashiah), the Father, who prophetically inspired these words recorded by the prophets Zechariah and Isaiah, regarding the death of Jesus Christ (Yehoshuah Mashiah), the Son.
« He was despised and was avoided by men, A man who was meant for pains and was familiar with sickness. It was as if his face were hidden from us. He was despised, and we held him as of no account. Truly he himself carried our sicknesses, And he bore our pains. But we considered him as plagued, stricken by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgression; He was crushed for our errors. He bore the punishment for our peace, And because of his wounds we were healed. Like sheep we have all wandered about, Each has turned his own way, And Jehovah has caused the error of us all to meet up with him. He was oppressed and he let himself be afflicted, But he would not open his mouth. He was brought like a sheep to the slaughter, Like a ewe that is silent before its shearers, And he would not open his mouth » (Isaiah 53:3-7).
By meditating on this text, we can understand that it is the deposit of the feelings of the Father about the circumstances which preceded and ended in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the Son. What follows is a meditation on the feelings of God, the Heavenly Father, through a series of rhetorical questions or personal reflections, concerning the circumstances leading up to and culminating in the death of his Only Begotten Son.
What were the feelings of the Father when he saw his Son deeply saddened and anguished, shortly before the long hours of suffering until his death, that he was going to undergo?
« On leaving, he went as was his custom to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed him. On arriving at the place, he said to them: “Carry on prayer so that you do not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw away, and he bent his knees and began to pray, saying: “Father, if you want to, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. But he was in such agony that he kept praying more earnestly; and his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went to the disciples, he found them slumbering, exhausted from grief » (Luke 22:39-45).
Jesus Christ was deeply distressed knowing the sadness that God would feel, seeing what men were going to inflict on him. God sent an angel to comfort his very saddened and distressed Son, before abandoning him to death at the hands of Satan the devil and his human sons, as a sacrifice for the world (John 3:16).
How did the Father feel when he saw his Son treated with disrespect, insulted, slapped, some spitting on him: “What is your opinion?” They answered: “He deserves to die.” Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him on the face, saying: “Prophesy to us, you Christ. Who struck you?” » (Matthew 26:66-68).
The expression « Prophesy to us, you Christ. Who struck you? », suggests that they had blindfolded Jesus Christ as they hit and spat on him. This underlines the high degree of wickedness of the men who surrounded him during his trial.
What were the feelings of the Father when he saw that the people had preferred to free a criminal, rather than his Son? How did the Father feel when he saw his Son flogged, and then insulted, and beaten by the soldiers?
« Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed him over to be executed on the stake. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole body of troops together around him. And disrobing him, they draped him with a scarlet cloak, and they braided a crown out of thorns and put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying: “Greetings, you King of the Jews!” And they spat on him and took the reed and began hitting him on his head. Finally, after they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak and put his outer garments on him and led him off to be nailed to the stake » (Matthew 27:26-31).
The flogging caused blood loss, which likely contributed to a partial anemia. Christ, consequently he no longer had the strength to carry the load of his stake, unlike the two other criminals who accompanied him: « As they were going out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon. This man they compelled into service to carry his torture stake » (Matthew 27:32).
Having a physically flawless body, Jesus had worked as a carpenter, so he was in excellent physical condition. However, the intense emotional strain he felt, followed later by the physical and verbal abuse he endured during the night of his trial and until daybreak, including scourging and a sleepless night, as he was led to his execution, left him on the verge of exhaustion. In this state of extreme fatigue, he would suffer six hours of agony at the execution site…
How did the Father feel when he saw the Roman soldiers nailing the hands and feet of his Son, to hang his body? It is very likely that Jesus Christ, at that moment, thought about the feelings of his Father, when he said: « Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing » (Luke 23:34). Indeed, how can a father feel when he is in the presence of someone who attacks or try to kill his son?
How did the Father feel during the six hours of suffering and at the time of the death of his Only Begotten Son? « And Jesus called out with a loud voice and said: “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After he said this, he expired » (Luke 23:46).
God, the Heavenly Father, prophetically pictured the emotional suffering of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the time of the death of her Son: « Also, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the child’s mother: “Look! This child is appointed for the falling and the rising again of many in Israel and for a sign to be spoken against (yes, a long sword will be run through you), in order that the reasonings of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34,35). Indeed, what can a father (and a mother) feel when faced with someone who assaults their son to the point of causing his death?
This image of a « sword running through » Mary, to describe the violence of the emotional pain that she would have, following the death of her Son on earth, gives us an idea of the deep feeling of sadness that the Father felt. In this circumstance, in response to the most abject act of humans, God responded with the highest act of Love, giving his Son to save mankind: « For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life » (John 3:16).
This meditation on the feelings of the Heavenly Father allows us to cultivate a deep gratitude towards Him and His Son. Furthermore, it compels us to respond to their love by gladly doing their will, the will of the Heavenly Father and His Son, regardless of the sacrifices we may have to make temporarily, in view of the hope of everlasting life through the sacrifice the Father offered of His Son (John 3:36).
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