After a long, agonizing prayer in the garden, after being roughly handled by a mob in the night, after being brought to stand before both Herod and Pilate, and after stumbling under the weight of the cross, Christ hung by nails placed barbarically in his wrists, hands and feet. Covered in dried blood from the weight of sin placed upon him in the garden, dirt caked in his stripes from his walk to Golgotha, his clothes ripped from his body with just tatters remaining, and fresh blood trickling down his face from his crown of thorns, Christ looked in no position to perform any miracle. Sinners and saints alike stood at his feet, some mocking and some crying. Even the guilty thief hanging beside him found the energy to belittle this bloodied king. The chief priests mocked him with the scribes and elders saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now” (Matthew 27:42-43). Keeping in mind what the Savior had already been through and his current state, it truly would have been a miracle had he come down from the cross that day.

Can you imagine? The Savior silently raises his regal head to heaven and commands legions of angels to pass through the veil and strike down those who mocked him. A wall of fire rising before the cross to stop any from attempting to keep him there. Angels gingerly removing nails and guiding his holy feet back to solid ground. Mary Magdalene comes to his side to place a robe around him and Mary, his mother, removes that shameful wreath of thorns and replaces it with a weighty golden crown. John raises a sword as angelic warriors assemble behind him to defend the Son of God. Truly, such a scene would have been a miracle of massive proportions. But, had the Savior come down from the cross that day alive, we would have missed the greatest miracle of all.

In life, we often hope for the miracle. We beg beside a sick child’s hospital bed. We cry alone as the car door slams and taillights disappear into the distance. We yell in the streets as signs decrying injustice are held high above our heads. We seek the miracle that seems most obvious. The miracle that seems most helpful, most instant and most satisfying. We stand before Christ on the cross and ask, “Why don’t you just come down now?” I have no doubt that Christ can heal that sick child, that he can mend a broken heart or a broken marriage, and that he can command equality and justice in a single moment. In fact, I have no doubt Christ could have called on that legion of angels and he could have climbed down from the cross. But Christ knew the bigger miracle was the most obvious, more helpful, most instant and most satisfying, even if his weeping mother and followers could only see him strung on a tree.

Christ did not come down from the cross alive that fateful day on Calvary. The angels were stayed. Even God himself was hidden from the scene. Instead, Christ willingly gave up his life, was stabbed in the side, and then was cut down as a limp, lifeless body. Those for and against him went home that night thinking the miracle had been missed — either that Christ was no savior or the Savior was no match for the power of Rome. Then, Sunday came. A rock was rolled away, linens were folded neatly, and a resurrected King called Mary’s name. In passing up his own personal miracle, Jesus the Christ provided a miracle for the ages. One that can touch all people in all times. A miracle that provides a path to heaven for every imperfect soul who decides to follow it.

As we wrestle through this treacherous thing called life, let us patiently wait for the greater miracle given by his hand, in his time. Imagine what would have been missed had Christ arrived in time to heal Lazarus, rather than resurrect him. Of course, keep hoping for the miracle. Keep praying, keep asking, and keep waiting. But when our miracle doesn’t come, perhaps the greater miracle is just one Sunday away.

Jessica Sargent was born and raised in Pocatello. She is a former collegiate track athlete (2012-2016), a two-time Idaho State University graduate (BA, MA), and is currently a full-time instructor at the College of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls.