Chronological
The leaven of the Pharisees
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to catch him out by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 This was his reply to them: “When it’s evening you say, ‘Sky looks like wine, it’s going to be fine.’ 3 And in the morning you say, ‘Red in the sky, rain by and by.’ Well then: you know how to work out the look of the sky, so why can’t you work out the signs of the times? 4 The generation that wants a sign is wicked and corrupt! No sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.”
With that, he left them and went away.
5 When the disciples crossed over the lake, they forgot to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out,” said Jesus to them, “and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed it with each other. “It’s because we didn’t bring any bread,” they said.
8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. “You really are a little-faith lot!” he said. “Why are you discussing with each other that you haven’t got any bread? 9 Don’t you understand, even now? Don’t you remember the five loaves and the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you picked up afterwards? 10 Or the seven loaves and the four thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? 11 Why can’t you see that I wasn’t talking about bread? Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
12 Then they understood that he wasn’t telling them to beware of the leaven you get in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship
13 Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. There he put this question to his disciples: “Who do people say that the son of man is?”
14 “John the Baptist,” they replied. “Others say Elijah. Others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered.
“You’re the Messiah,” he said. “You’re the son of the living God!”
17 “God’s blessing on you, Simon, son of John!” answered Jesus. “Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you; it was my father in heaven. 18 And I’ve got something to tell you, too: you are Peter, the rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell won’t overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you tie up on earth will have been tied up in heaven, and whatever you untie on earth will have been untied in heaven.”
20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus predicts his death
21 From then on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.
22 Peter took him and began to tell him off. “Certainly not, Master!” he said. “That’s never, ever going to happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned on Peter. “Get behind me, satan!” he said. “You’re trying to trip me up! You’re coming at this from a human point of view, not from God’s point of view!”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, they must give themselves up, and pick up their cross, and follow me. 25 Yes: if someone wants to save their life, they must lose it; and if anyone loses their life for my sake they will find it. 26 What use will it be, otherwise, if you win the whole world but forfeit your true life? What will you give to get your life back? 27 You see, the son of man is going to ‘come in the glory of his father with his angels,’ and then ‘he will reward everyone for the work they have done.’ 28 I’m telling you the truth: some of those standing here will not taste death until they see ‘the son of man coming in his kingdom.’ ”
The feeding of the four thousand
8 Once again, about that time, a large crowd gathered with nothing to eat.
Jesus called the disciples.
2 “I’m really sorry for the people,” he said. “They’ve been with me three days now, and they haven’t got anything to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they’ll collapse on the way. Some of them have come from miles off.”
4 “Where could you get food for all this lot, out here in the wilderness?” answered his disciples.
5 “How many loaves have you got?” he asked. “Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to share around, and they gave them to the crowd. 7 They had a few small fish, which he also blessed and told them to distribute. 8 They ate; they were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets of leftover bits. 9 There were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.
10 At once Jesus got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanoutha.
The leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
11 The Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Jesus. They were asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him out.
12 Jesus groaned deeply in his spirit. “Why is this generation looking for a sign?” he said. “I’m telling you the truth: no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 He left them again, got into the boat, and crossed over to the other side.
14 They had forgotten to get any bread, and had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 “Beware!” said Jesus sternly to them. “Watch out for leaven—the Pharisees’ leaven, and Herod’s leaven too!”
16 “It must be something to do with us not having any bread,” they said to each other.
17 “Why are you grumbling about not bringing bread?” said Jesus, who knew what they were thinking. “Don’t you get it? Don’t you understand? Have your hearts gone hard?
18 Can’t you see with your two good eyes?
Can’t you hear with your two good ears?
“And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken bits were left over?”
“Twelve,” they said.
20 “And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many baskets full of bits were left over?”
“Seven,” they replied.
21 “You still don’t get it?” he asked.
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship
22 They arrived at Bethsaida. A blind man was brought to Jesus, and they begged him to touch him. 23 He took his hand, led him off outside the village, and put spittle on his eyes. Then he laid his hands on him, and asked, “Can you see anything?”
24 “I can see people,” said the man, peering around, “but they look like trees walking about.”
25 Then Jesus laid his hands on him once more. This time he looked hard, and his sight came back: he could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him back home.
“Don’t even go into the village,” he said.
27 Jesus and his disciples came to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who are people saying that I am?”
28 “John the Baptist,” they said, “or, some say, Elijah; or, others say, one of the prophets.”
29 “What about you?” asked Jesus. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter spoke up. “You’re the Messiah,” he said.
30 He gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus predicts his death
31 Jesus now began to teach them something new.
“There’s big trouble in store for the son of man,” he said. “The elders, the chief priests and the scribes are going to reject him. He will be killed—and after three days he’ll be raised.” 32 He said all this quite explicitly.
At this, Peter took him aside and started to scold him. 33 But he turned round, saw the disciples, and scolded Peter.
“Get behind me, Accuser!” he said. “You’re thinking human thoughts, not God’s thoughts.”
34 He called the crowd to him, with his disciples. “If any of you want to come the way I’m going,” he said, “you must say ‘no’ to your own selves, pick up your cross, and follow me. 35 Yes: if you want to save your life, you’ll lose it; but if you lose your life because of me and the message you’ll save it. 36 After all, what use is it to win the world and lose your life? 37 What can you give in exchange for your life? 38 If you’re ashamed of me and my words in this cheating and sinning generation, the son of man will be ashamed of you when he ‘comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.’
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship
18 When Jesus was praying alone, his disciples gathered around him.
“Who do the crowds say I am?” he asked them.
19 “John the Baptist,” they responded. “And others say Elijah. Others say that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
20 “What about you?” said Jesus. “Who do you say I am?”
“God’s Messiah,” answered Peter.
21 He gave them strict and careful instructions not to tell this to anyone.
22 “The son of man,” he said, “must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the legal experts. He must be killed, and raised up on the third day.”
23 He then spoke to them all. “If any of you want to come after me,” he said, “you must say no to yourselves, and pick up your cross every day, and follow me. 24 If you want to save your life, you’ll lose it; but if you lose your life because of me, you’ll save it. 25 What good will it do you if you win the entire world, but lose or forfeit your own self? 26 If you’re ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed of you, when he comes in the glory which belongs to him, and to the father, and to the holy angels.
27 “Let me tell you,” he concluded, “there are some standing here who won’t experience death until they see God’s kingdom.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.