And they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zechariah 12:10 KJV

… so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.  Zechariah 12:10 NASB

And again, another Scripture saith, they shall look on Him Whom they pierced John 19:37 KJV

And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.”  John 19:37 NASB

And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord” John 20:20 KJV

And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Joh 20:20 NASB

The wounded side of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned in prophecy in Zechariah and in its actuality in John’s Gospel.

Prophecy

Zechariah pointed forward to a day when the house of Israel will look upon the One Whom they pierced and mourn for Him. The mourning will be individual, intense, and indescribable. The sight, with the dawning awareness of the identity of the Messiah Whom they rejected, will result in a day of repentance and salvation. What is remarkable is that in the very act of the cruel and barbarous wounding by a Roman soldier, a prophecy was fulfilled, and a sign was provided for the nation by which it can identify its true Messiah.

The wounds of which Zechariah spoke will include more than the wounded side; but, its mention in John 19 suggests it will be the hallmark identifying factor. Thomas prefigures the nation in a coming day that, like him, will be transformed from unbelief to worship by the sight of the wounded and pierced side.

The Event

John 19 records for us the act of the piercing of the side of the Lord Jesus. He had died prior to the order given to the soldiers to break the legs of those on the cross. He must die before the thieves – as no one ever died in the presence of the Prince of Life. When death crossed His path, it had to recede and yield up its prey. He must die first.

When the soldier was aware that He had died, we read that with a sword he pierced His side. And though one Scripture was fulfilled (No bone of Him was broken), this Scripture is not spoken of as being fulfilled. It awaits a future day. But the deed was done to make possible its fulfillment in Israel’s darkest hour. The cruelty perpetrated by the nation will be the very sign which will result in its salvation. What grace and mercy on God’s part!

The Proof

When the disciples saw the Lord Jesus and His wounds, we read that they were glad as they were assured of His identity. Likewise, Thomas was brought, as we mentioned, from stubborn unbelief to worship by the sight of the wounded side.

In His wounded side, we see the proof of His person, the provision for the nation, the perfection of Scripture, and the plenteous grace of God.

Consider:

Look at John 19 and note the three times we have the expression or similar, “That the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Look at the means God used to fulfill His Word.