Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(A)

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ^(B)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, ^(C)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ^(D)one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(E)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(F)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(G)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(H)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(I)you are Peter, and ^(J)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(K)the gates of Hades shall not ^[a]prevail against it. ^19 (L)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ^[b]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

^20 (M)Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(N)

²¹ From that time Jesus began ^(O)to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ^[c]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, ^(P)Satan! ^(Q)You are ^[d]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(R)

^24 (S)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and ^(T)follow Me. ²⁵ For ^(U)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what ^(V)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or ^(W)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For ^(X)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father ^(Y)with His angels, ^(Z)and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ Assuredly, I say to you, ^(AA)there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

The Light of Christ’s Gospel

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry, ^(A)as we have received mercy, we ^(B)do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor ^[a]handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth ^(C)commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ But even if our gospel is veiled, ^(D)it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴ whose minds ^(E)the god of this age ^(F)has blinded, who do not believe, lest ^(G)the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^(H)who is the image of God, should shine on them. ^5 (I)For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ^(J)ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For it is the God ^(K)who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has ^(L)shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Cast Down but Unconquered

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ^(M)that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are ^(N)hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not ^(O)forsaken; ^(P)struck down, but not destroyed— ^10 (Q)always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^(R)that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live ^(S)are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you.

¹³ And since we have ^(T)the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ^(U)“I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(V)He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵ For ^(W)all things are for your sakes, that ^(X)grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Seeing the Invisible

¹⁶ Therefore we ^(Y)do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is ^(Z)being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(AA)our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ^18 (AB)while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.