9 As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 11 And they asked Him, saying, âWhy is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?â 12 And He said to them, âElijah does come first and he restores all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written of him.â
Sermon Theme/Outline: Jesus reminds believers that suffering must come before glory, for Himself and for all who follow Him.
1) A Major Perplexing Question Answered (9:9-12a; 13)
27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponentsâwhich is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christâs sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Theme: The Gospel is worth the church’s battle for unity within its walls & suffering from persecution outside its walls.
Two humbling qualities that should characterize the life of the church and the lives of citizens of Heaven:
1) Our suffering in solidarity for the Gospel (verse 27) 2) Our solidarity in suffering for Christ (Verses 28-30)
