Matthew 16:1-28

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a sign from heaven. Jesus replied, “In the evening you say, ‘It'll be a fine day tomorrow, because the sky is red,’ while in the morning you say, ‘It'll be bad weather today, because the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to predict the weather by what the sky looks like, but you can't recognize the signs of the times! An evil and adulterous generation are the ones who look for a miraculous sign, and no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.” He left them and went away. Having crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples realized they'd forgotten to bring bread with them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” Jesus told them. The disciples started arguing among themselves. “He's saying that because we didn't bring any bread,” they concluded. Jesus knew what they were saying and said, “You have so little trust in me! Why are you arguing among yourselves about not having any bread? Haven't you worked it out yet? Don't you remember the five loaves that fed five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you collect? And what about the seven loaves that fed the four thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you collect? Haven't you worked it out yet that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Then they realized that he wasn't warning them to watch out for bread yeast, but about the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. When Jesus arrived in the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of man is?” “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets,” they replied. “But what about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?” “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Simon Peter replied. “You are truly blessed, Simon son of John,” Jesus told him. “For this wasn't revealed to you by human flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the powers of death won't overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you ban on earth will have been banned in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth will have been allowed in heaven.” Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer terribly at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and religious teachers; and that he would be killed, but he would rise again on the third day. Peter took Jesus aside and started to tell him he shouldn't talk like that. “God forbid, Lord, that this would ever happen to you!” he said. Jesus turned to Peter, and told him, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a trap to trip me up, because you're thinking in a human way, and not as God thinks!” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If you want to be a follower of mine, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your life you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake you will save it. What benefit is it for you to gain the whole world, yet lose your life? What would you give in exchange for your life? For the Son of man is going to come in his Father's glory, together with his angels. Then he will give everyone what they deserve according to what they've done. I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who won't die before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”