The Demand for a Sign^(A)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came and, testing Him, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

² He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and overcast.’ O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” So He left them and departed.

The Yeast of Pharisees and Sadducees^(B)

⁵ But when His disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ They reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

⁸ But when Jesus perceived it, He said to them, “O you of little faith, why reason among yourselves, that it is because you have brought no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you collected? ¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I spoke to you not concerning bread, but that you should beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees?” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Declaration About Jesus^(C)

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

¹⁴ They said, “Some say that You are John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

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

¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then He commanded His disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection^(D)

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show 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 on the third day.

²² Then Peter took Him and began rebuking Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall not happen to You.”

²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things that are of God, but those that are of men.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man shall come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay every man according to his works. ²⁸ Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”