The Greatest Miracle of Good Friday: The One That Didn't Happen

Part of the work of a Priest is to illuminate the Gospels, to shed new light on ancient truths. We are tasked with engaging deeply with the Scriptures to find that one spark that might point someone toward Jesus; something that might fundamentally reshape a listener's week, their month, or their entire life.

But I will be honest with you: one of the greatest challenges a Priest faces is doing justice to God’s Holy Word. Some weeks, the words flow like a river. Other times, it takes hours of prayer, preparation, and the heavy lifting of the Holy Spirit to craft a message that honours the weight of the Gospel.

Sometimes, it takes a miracle just to find the right words. And as I reflected on the Passion reading this year, I realised that miracles,or rather, the lack of them, are exactly what makes this day so significant.

An Ominous Silence

On that first Good Friday, the crowd gathered at the foot of the Cross expected a miracle. They dared Jesus to step down, to save Himself, to prove His power. And yet... there was an astonishing absence of the supernatural.

Think of what we might have anticipated based on the rest of Jesus' ministry:

• The Angels: The heavenly hosts who tended to the Lord in the wilderness were conspicuous by their absence. They kept their distance.

• The Father’s Voice: The God who spoke with clarity and authority at the Baptism and the Transfiguration remained ominously silent.

• The Power over Nature: The ability to walk on water, calm the storms, and reverse the course of death was suddenly, jarringly, suspended.

The Miracle of Restraint

I believe the true miracle of Good Friday is that there were no miracles.

Jesus hung there, wholly capable of rescuing Himself. He had the power to end the agony, to call down legions of angels, and to step off those nails. But He chose not to. He deliberately relinquished His privileges, His power, and His position. He clung to that Cross until He could finally say, "It is finished," and draw His final breath.

The miracle was His restraint. He stayed there for you and for me, so that we would never have to pay the price for our own sins.

A Love of One

I have said this before, and I will continue to say it until it truly sinks into our hearts: Even if you were the only person on this planet, Jesus would have still gone to the Cross for you. He sees you. He knows you. He loves you unconditionally. He didn't stay on the Cross for a nameless "humanity", He stayed there for you.

The stillness of Good Friday was not a sign of defeat; it was the ultimate act of love. The power was suspended so that the grace could be extended.

And as we wait in the quiet of the tomb, we remember: the silence only lasted for a moment. Three days later, the miracles began again.

Amen.