The suffering of Christ unto death was through men's reproach, despising, deriding, sneering, head shaking, and mocking (vv. 6-8; Heb. 13:13b; Isa. 53:3; Luke 23:11; Mark 15:29-32; Matt. 27:39-44). I hope that some, especially the young people, would remember these words which describe the Lord's suffering. Each of them has a particular meaning to describe what the Lord suffered on the cross. We may have never considered the significance of each of these words. This shows that when we read the Bible, we have a tendency to take everything for granted.
The word reproach is also used in Hebrews 13:13, which says, "Let us therefore go forth unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach." This indicates that we need to come outside the camp of religion to follow the suffering Jesus. To bear the Lord's reproach is to bear His disgrace or shame. To despise is to look down on with contempt and scorn. To deride is to make fun of or laugh at in contempt. To sneer is to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt. When Christ was on the cross, the ridiculers also shook, or wagged, their heads (Psa. 22:7b; Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29), saying, "He committed himself to Jehovah; let Him rescue him" (Psa. 22:8a). To mock is to hold up to scorn or contempt and to imitate or mimic in derision. All these things were suffered by the Lord Jesus Christ while He was nailed on the cross. Groups of people reproached Him, despised Him, derided Him, sneered at Him, shook their heads at Him, and mocked Him.
Psalm 22:9-11 shows that Christ trusted in God for deliverance. While people were mocking Him and deriding Him, He was trusting in God. Deliverance here is resurrection. He intended definitely to die and expected to be delivered from death, that is, to be resurrected from the dead.
Psalm 22:12-18 shows how Christ passed through the suffering of crucifixion. The Jewish people did not have the practice of crucifying criminals. This was a practice of the heathen (Ezra 6:11) adopted by the Romans for the execution of slaves and heinous criminals. As the Lamb of God, Christ was crucified for our redemption (John 1:29; Heb. 9:12).
Years ago, I read an article describing how the children of Israel slew the lamb during the Passover. They took two wooden bars and formed a cross. They tied two legs of the lamb at the foot of the cross and fastened the other outstretched legs to the crossbar. Then they slew the lamb so that all its blood was shed, for they needed all of the blood to sprinkle on their doorframes (Exo. 12:7). The way the Passover lamb was killed is a picture of Christ's crucifixion on the cross as the Lamb of God.
While Christ was being crucified on the cross, many fierce men, signified by mighty bulls, encompassed Him (Psa. 22:12). They opened their mouth at Him like a ravening and roaring lion (v. 13). Evil men, signified by dogs, surrounded Him, and a congregation of evildoers enclosed Him (v. 16a-b).
Psalm 22:16c says that they pierced His hands and feet (Zech. 12:10; John 19:37; Rev. 1:7). Charles Wesley in one of his hymns spoke of the "five bleeding wounds" which Christ received on Calvary (Hymns, #300). His two hands, His two feet, and His side (John 19:34) were pierced by the Roman soldiers who executed Him.
They divided His garments to themselves, and for His clothing they cast lots (Psa. 22:18; John 19:23-24). In His crucifixion, the Lord's right to be clothed was stripped from Him, along with His life. They made the Lord Jesus altogether naked in order to have a public, shameful display.
Psalm 22:17b says that they looked, they stared at Him. The evildoers were staring at the Lord Jesus with contempt and hatred while He was on the cross.
On the cross, He was poured out like water (v. 14a). Isaiah 53:12 says that He poured out His soul. We cannot fully realize the tremendous amount of suffering which the Lord experienced on the cross.
Psalm 22:14b says that all His bones were out of joint. This was because He could not hold up the weight of His body hanging on the cross. His bones being out of joint caused Him great agony and pain.
Also, He counted all His bones (v. 17a). His heart was like wax melted within Him (v. 14c-d). His strength was dried up like a shard (v. 15a; John 19:28), a piece of broken pottery. His tongue was stuck to His jaws (Psa. 22:15b). God had put Him in the dust of death (v. 15c; Phil. 2:8b). He was put to death by God. On the one hand, it was man crucifying Him, killing Him, but eventually it was God who put Him into death. Actually, God killed Jesus. If Jesus had been killed only by man, He could never have been our Redeemer. He would have been merely a martyr. But God judged Him and put Him into death for our redemption (Isa. 53:4, 10).