Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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.”