In Psalms, chapter twenty-two, verse sixteen, is a part of “the Psalm of the cross,” which details Christ’s suffering on the cross. The entire chapter, from verses one through thirty-one, has two parts: the Cry of Anguish section from verses one to twenty-one and A Song of Praise in verses twenty-two to thirty-one, is the other section. The cry of anguish from a godly sufferer awaiting to receive deliverance from trials and suffering. In this sense, all suffering believers can identify with the words of this prayer. The song of praise in the other section rejoices over the Lord who bore our sins and points to His subsequent vindication three days later.
In Matthew twenty-seven, verse thirty-five, under Jesus’ Crucified section, the details of the sufferings of Christ are in stage seven. Jesus at Golgotha was placed on a crossbeam on the ground and laid on it. His arms stretched along the beam, and a heavy, square, wrought iron nail was driven through His hands or wrists, first into the right, then into the left, and deep into the wood. Next, Jesus lifted using ropes or ladders with the crossbeam and was bound or nailed to the upright beam, and His body fastened to it. Lastly, His feet extended, and a larger piece of iron driven through them.
The significance of Jesus’ hands and feet pierced came to light in John twenty, verse twenty-five, under Thomas’ doubt and belief section, which begins from verses twenty-four through thirty-one, where Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve disciples, was not with them when Jesus came to meet earlier. “The other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”