Friday’s Grave, Sunday’s Glory — Pastor Thom O'Leary

Good Friday often feels like the end — a day of sorrow, silence, and a sealed tomb. But in God’s divine story, Friday’s grave isn’t the final word. It sets the stage for a glorious Sunday. Thom O'Leary  Mountainbrook Church: Strength Born of Surrender reminds us that what looks like defeat on Friday becomes victory on Sunday. Let’s explore how pain gives way to promise, and death gives birth to resurrection.

Thom O'Leary Mountainbrook Church

1. Friday Looks Like the End

On that first Good Friday, it looked like evil had won. Jesus, innocent and blameless, was nailed to a cross between criminals. The sky turned dark, and the earth trembled. For His followers, hope turned to horror.

  • The Savior they believed in was dying.
  • The kingdom they expected seemed crushed.
  •  The One who healed others now hung lifeless.

It was a day of deep grief. But what the enemy meant for destruction, God was using for redemption.

2. Saturday: The Silent Middle

Saturday is often forgotten. It’s the in-between day, the day of silence and uncertainty. The tomb was shut. The disciples hid in fear. It seemed like nothing was happening.

  • But silence is not absence.
  • Stillness is not inaction.
  • God was working in ways unseen.
  • Jesus descended into the depths to break the chains of death.
  • The waiting was sacred, not wasted.
  •  Heaven was preparing for a resurrection.

In our own lives, we often live in the "Saturday" season — waiting for clarity, healing, or hope. But hold on, because the story isn’t over.

3. Sunday Shatters the Silence

Then, at dawn on Sunday, everything changed. The grave couldn’t hold Him. Death had no power. Jesus rose!

  • The stone rolled away — not so He could get out, but so we could see in.
  • The soldiers trembled.
  • The angels declared, “He is not here; He has risen!”

Sunday is the proof that God finishes what He starts. Every tear shed on Friday was answered with joy on Sunday. The resurrection is not just historical—it's personal. It means your darkest day can become your greatest victory.

4. What Friday Teaches Us About Our Pain

Our lives are full of Fridays—diagnoses, betrayals, losses, broken dreams. But Jesus’ journey from the cross to the empty tomb is a promise to us:

  • Your pain has purpose.
  • Your suffering is not wasted.
  • Your grave is not your end.

Pastor Thom O'Leary reminds us: “If God can bring life from a cross, He can bring hope from your heartbreak.” The cross is where sorrow and salvation collide. And grace always wins.

5. Trust the Process Between Grave and Glory

We want to jump from Good Friday to Easter Sunday—but the waiting of Saturday is part of the story. In the delay, God is deepening your faith.

  • His timing is perfect.
  • His plan is redemptive.
  • His glory is coming.

So if you’re in the middle, don’t quit. Don’t walk away from your faith just because you haven’t seen Sunday yet. The grave is temporary. Glory is eternal.

Final Thoughts

If you’re stuck in a “Friday” season, don’t lose heart—God does His greatest work in the darkest places. The cross didn’t defeat Jesus, and the grave couldn’t hold Him. As Pastor Thom O’Leary at Mountainbrook Church reminds us, hold on with hope. Friday’s Good because Sunday’s Coming! Thom O’Leary at Mountainbrook Church: Experience the Power of Transformational—the grave is temporary, glory is eternal.

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