Zechariah 12:10 — They Shall Look Upon Me Whom They Have Peace

 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son...” — Zechariah 12:10, KJV

Zechariah 12:10 is a powerful prophecy combining God’s grace, repentance, mourning, and the pierced Messiah.

God promises to pour upon the house of David and Jerusalem “the spirit of grace and of supplications.” Their turning does not begin merely with human emotion; God graciously works within them, bringing them to prayer, recognition, and repentance.

The striking words are, “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” In the New Testament, John directly connects this prophecy with the crucifixion of Jesus. After the soldier pierced Jesus’ side, John wrote:

“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” — John 19:37, KJV

The prophecy therefore takes on profound Messianic significance. The One who was pierced becomes the One upon whom people look in recognition and mourning.

The mourning described in Zechariah is deep and personal—“as one mourneth for his only son.” This is not casual regret. It pictures genuine sorrow accompanying the recognition of the One who was rejected.

Yet the prophecy does not end with mourning. Zechariah 13:1 immediately follows with the promise:

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

The movement is powerful:

Grace → Recognition → Mourning → Cleansing.

Personal Application

True repentance is more than feeling badly about consequences. It involves seeing sin in light of Christ and what our redemption cost Him.

But Zechariah also reminds us that conviction is not intended to leave us without hope. The God who reveals sin also provides grace and cleansing.

Look to the One who was pierced.
Receive His grace.
Come before Him with genuine repentance.
And receive the cleansing God provides.