The treatment that Jesus received while dying for us was inhumane, brutal, callous, even; sadistic. Those who mocked the Lord also scourged Him until the flesh was torn from His body. His tormentors spit in His face and ripped out His beard. They blindfolded and punched Jesus repeatedly in His face. They tortured Him with their words and their weapons. They treated Jesus as if He were a worm and not a man. This is the prediction of this prophecy from Psalms 22:6. When David wrote these words—one thousand years before Jesus was born; he was acting in the capacity of a prophet, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Through his words, David gave us an advanced look at how the world would treat the Messiah when He came to earth.

The Messiah will be despised, rejected, abused, and thought “a worm,” even less than a man.

Psalms 22:6 “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.”

New Testament Fulfillment:

Matthew 27:22-23 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

Matthew 27:28-31 “And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”

A worm and not a man:

There is an implied purpose in calling the Messiah a worm. This prophecy is specific in that He will be treated as though He is less than human. All His dignity as a human being will be taken from Him, and He will be left as a reproach before all those who see Him die.

It is difficult to imagine that the Creator of the universe could be treated in such a manner when He came to earth.

This was the destiny that Jesus determined for Himself when He made the commitment to come and give His life for all of us. Though He came to love us, the world hated Him and tore His body to pieces. It is astonishing that only a small number of those who will hear what Jesus has done for them, will ever receive Him. The Bible describes Jesus; knowing that all these things would happen to Him, even before He made the universe, the earth, or the first man. For this reason, Jesus is described as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation. 13:8).

When we read the entire description that was written by David, we are stunned to learn that he wrote these prophecies ten centuries before they occurred.

Jesus predicted that He would be treated in this manner, before the events took place. See Jesus, Prophet, Priest, and King

Mark 10:33-34 (Jesus Speaking) “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

The fulfillment of Jesus predictions are recorded in the Gospels.

Matthew 27:30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.

Luke 22:64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”

John 18:22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand…

Isaiah penned 131 prophecies which describe extensively, the Messiah’s suffering and the extreme torture He would be subjected to.

Isaiah 50:6 (The Messiah speaking) I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting…

Jesus allowed evil men to treat Him this way because He was representing us at the place of judgement. In being tortured and beaten, spit upon, mocked, and nailed to a cross, Jesus took the full wrath of God for all of our sins. The punishment that Jesus received was originally intended for us because of the sins that we have committed. It is the will of God that none of us should ever see His wrath for our sins; therefore, Jesus came to bear the punishment that we deserved so that no future judgment remains. In order to understand what Jesus experienced while bearing our sins, please see the chapter in this book: Crucified

Can you see Jesus hanging on the cross? His flesh torn and bleeding, His body pierced-through by rusty nails? Eyes of love look down from His place of suffering as if to beckon you to watch while He exhibits the love that He has had for you—from eternity. Jesus suffered so that you would not have to bear the cost for your own sins. He was separated from God so that you would never be separated from Him. His life of infinite value; given in exchange for all of us, is sufficient to pay for our salvation. What will you do with Jesus? Fall at His feet in gratitude; burst forth in praise and thanksgiving for the incredible love He has shown? Or will you walk away and count His sacrifice for you as nothing, unworthy of your love and gratitude?

This prophecy from Psalms 22:6, predicts that Jesus will be treated like a worm and not a man. Will your name be added to those who regard Him in this manner, or will you receive Him and follow Him so that He can give you the eternal life that He died to make possible?