²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^(A) because he will save his people from their sins.”^(B)

²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

which is translated “God is with us.”^(C)

²⁷ All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires^[a] to reveal him.^(A)

²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”^(A)

The Closely Guarded Tomb

⁶² The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate^{(A) 63} and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’^{(B) 64} So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples^(C) may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take^[a] guards,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.^(D)

⁵ The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.^{(A) 6} He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.^{(B) 7} Then go quickly and tell his disciples,^(C) ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”^(D)

⁸ So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. ⁹ Just then^[a] Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.^(E)

The Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees approached,^(A) and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven.^{(B) 2} He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You^[a] know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.^{[b] 4} An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of^[c] Jonah.”^(C) Then he left them and went away.

⁵ The disciples reached the other shore,^[d] and they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven^[e] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^(D)

⁷ They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸ Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith,^(E) why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected?^{(F) 11} Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”^{(G) 12} Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.^(H)

Peter’s Confession of the Messiah

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,^[f](I) he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”^[g]

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(J)

¹⁵ “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^(K)

¹⁷ Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,^[h](L) because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.^{(M) 18} And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,^(N) and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,^(O) and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound^[i] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed^[j] in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was^[k] the Messiah.^(P)

His Death and Resurrection Predicted

²¹ From^(Q) then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.^{(R) 22} Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no,^[l] Lord! This will never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns^[m] but human concerns.”^(S)

Take Up Your Cross

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.^{(T) 25} For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.^{(U) 26} For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?^{(V) 27} For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,^(W) and then he will reward each according to what he has done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”^(X)

The Transfiguration

17 After six days^(Y) Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.^{(Z) 2} He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.^{(AA) 3} Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up^[n] three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”^(AB)

⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered^[o] them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” ^{(AC) 6} When the disciples^(AD) heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.

⁷ Jesus came up, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid.”^{(AE) 8} When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,^(AF) “Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised^[p] from the dead.”

¹⁰ So the disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ^(AG)

¹¹ “Elijah is coming^[q] and will restore everything,” he replied.^{[r](AH) 12} “But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”^{(AI) 13} Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

The Power of Jesus over a Demon

¹⁴ When they reached the crowd,^(AJ) a man approached and knelt down before him. ¹⁵ “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures^[s] and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”^(AK)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”^{(AL) 18} Then Jesus rebuked the demon,^[t] and it^[u] came out of him,^(AM) and from that moment^[v] the boy was healed.

¹⁹ Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ “Because of your little faith,” he^[w] told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of ^[x] a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.^(AN) Nothing will be impossible for you.”^[y](AO)

The Second Prediction of His Death

²² As^(AP) they were gathering together^[z] in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

Paying the Temple Tax

²⁴ When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” ^(AQ)

²⁵ “Yes,” he said.

When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,^[aa] “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes? From their sons or from strangers?”^[ab](AR)

²⁶ “From strangers,” he said.^[ac]

“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. ²⁷ “But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin.^[ad] Take it and give it to them for me and you.”^(AS)

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man^(A) did not come to be served, but to serve,^(B) and to give his life^(C) as a ransom^(D) for many.”^[a](E)

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 As^(A) soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders,^(B) scribes,^(C) and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests^(D) tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.^(E)

² So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king^(F) of the Jews?”^(G)

He answered him, “You say so.”

³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ Pilate^(H) questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!” ⁵ But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

⁶ At^(I) the festival^(J) Pilate^(K) used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. ⁷ There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder^(L) during the rebellion.^{(M) 8} The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. ⁹ Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king^(N) of the Jews^(O) for you?” ¹⁰ For he knew it was because of envy^(P) that the chief priests had handed him over. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. ¹² Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ The^(Q) soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence^(R)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple^(S) robe, twisted together a crown^(T) of thorns, and put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail,^(U) king^(V) of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,^(W) they were paying him homage. ²⁰ After they had mocked^(X) him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.