Sermon: Following Jesus Through Suffering

Suffering. Mocked. Whipped. Murdered. Raised Up.This is the sequence of experiences that Jesus tells his 12 disciples is coming for him in Jerusalem.They do not understand what he is saying. They will not understand until he goes through suffering and death and is resurrected. Then, the resurrected Son of Man by the Spirit makes them understand his Gospel.We also need the Spirit of God to open our eyes in faith to see the cross, death, and resurrection of Jesus as our glory and not shame, our victory not defeat, our hope not vanity and meaninglessness.Those who follow Jesus willingly choose to align with him and his kingdom, even if the result is being shamed by friends, mocked by co-workers, or rejected by family.