April 18, 2025: “By His Wounds, We Are Healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

Today, we gather in silence.

The altar is bare.
There is no Mass.
No Gloria.
No Alleluia.

The Church mourns. Heaven is hushed. The earth stands still. Because today, God died.

1. The Day Love Was Nailed to a Cross

Good Friday is not just a day in history. It is the day love stretched out His arms and embraced the world. It’s hard to look at the Cross. It’s painful. It’s brutal. But it is there — in blood and splinters — that we see the depth of God’s love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

And Jesus called us friends. He was not killed by nails alone. He was held there by love — love for the sinner, the weak, the broken, the lost… for you and me.

 

2. The Man of Sorrows Took Our Place

In Isaiah 53, we read: “He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

This is the heart of Good Friday:
Jesus did not deserve the Cross — but He chose it.
He did not sin — but He carried ours.
He could have come down — but He stayed.

Why? Because He wanted to take your place. He wanted you to know: You are not alone in your pain. You are not forgotten. You are worth dying for.

 

3. The Cross Is Not the End

At first glance, Good Friday seems like a defeat. The Messiah is mocked. The Healer is wounded. The Light is extinguished. But, dear friends — the Cross is not the end of the story. Yes, Jesus cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) — but He did not say “I am finished.” What was finished? The curse of sin. The weight of guilt. The sting of death.

The Cross is not the symbol of defeat. It is the throne of victory. In the most hopeless moment of history, God was doing His greatest work.

 

4. Let the Cross Touch Your Heart

We often look at the Cross from a distance — as a religious object or historical fact.
But the Cross is not meant to be observed. It is meant to be felt… entered into… embraced.

Today, let it speak to your soul:

• If you feel ashamed — remember He was not ashamed to hang for you.
• If you feel unworthy — remember He thought you were worth dying for.
• If you feel broken — remember His body was broken so you could be healed.
• If you are carrying a cross — remember, you do not carry it alone.

5. A Personal Encounter at the Foot of the Cross

Let me ask you something: Where are you today — in this Passion story?

• Are you like Peter, who denied Him, but wept bitterly?
• Are you like John, who stayed at the foot of the Cross, though confused?
• Are you like Mary, silently suffering, yet trusting in God's will?
• Or maybe like the good thief, who whispered in his final hour, “Jesus, remember me…”

Wherever you are — there is a place for you at the foot of the Cross.

There, healing flows. There, forgiveness is poured out. There, the heart of God is wide open.

Closing Invitation

So today, let us not rush. Let us sit with the Cross. Look at Him. Talk to Him. Cry, if you must. Repent, if you need to. But whatever you do — don’t walk away untouched. Because the Cross is not just about what Jesus did. It’s about why He did it — and who He did it for.

He did it for you.  “By His wounds, we are healed.” Let His wounds heal your heart today. Amen.