“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn.”
– Zechariah 12:10
This is yet another picture in the book of Zechariah that points us clearly and directly down the centuries to Jesus. The one to come from the house of David. God talking about one who will be looked upon, who is pierced.
Zechariah 12:10 Points Directly to the One Who was Pierced for Our Transgressions
So let me just pause there and jump forward to John 19:34. Talking about Jesus on the cross says: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness, his testimony is true, and he knows that he’s telling the truth that you also may believe for these things took place, that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’ And again, another scripture says ‘They a will look on him whom they have pierced.'” That’s direct quote from Zechariah 12:10.
You see the picture? God speaking to, through his prophet Zechariah hundreds of years before that day on a cross. God talking about the one who will be pierced for our transgressions. To use language from Isaiah, another prophet, bruised for our iniquities. And it happens exactly that way. A soldier piercing his side just as God had promised. Get the picture. This was all a part of God’s sovereign design in history for the salvation of your life, my life.
Salvation of men and women and children from the nations that he would give his one and only son, the firstborn of all creation to be born as a man like us, yet without sin. So that one day this child born in a manger would be pierced on a cross to pay the price for your sin and my sin so that we might receive the grace and mercy of God and salvation from our sin and restoration to relationship with him, to eternal life with him.
Zechariah 12:10 Prophesied Salvation through Jesus
Jesus, there’s no one like you prophesied for centuries before you came. Promised to come, to be born in a certain place at a certain time, and the specific promises around your birth in Bethlehem to live a life of righteousness and purity and holiness with no sin. And then to die on a cross, to be pierced for our transgressions, for our sins. That people might look upon you who were pierced for us. And then to rise from the grave in ascend into heaven, where right now you rule and reign with all authority in heaven and on earth.
We say all glory and honor and praise for wealth and wisdom and might be to your name, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. There is no one like you. We love you. Lord, we worship you. We bow before you. Now in our hearts, our minds and our lives, and we say you are our Lord. And we are so glad you are. You are our King, and we’re so glad you are.
Praying for the Mirathi People
And we pray God for the spread of this good news among all the nations that your spirit of grace, oh God, that pleas for mercy would resound among all the nations among the Mirathi people of Zimbabwe. God, you know this remote people group in Zimbabwe. Lord, we pray that the good news of Jesus born, living, dying, being pierced for sin, rising from the grave, ascending into heaven. God, we pray for the Mirathi people to see you, Jesus. We pray that over 3 billion people in the world who are unreached by this good news. God, bring it about.
Use our lives, our families, our churches to get this good news to them. That your spirit of grace and pleas for mercy might be poured out on them. That they might look upon you. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, “Behold your glory, oh God, in the face of Jesus, the one who is pierced for them, and they might receive your grace and your mercy.” All glory be to your name, the one who stands at the center of all history through prophets centuries before you, and in this moment and for all of eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray according to Zechariah 12:10, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
