Matthew 16:1–21:22
Debate Over a Sign from Heaven
16 Then the aPharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to 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 threatening.’ 1Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 bA wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of 2the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
5 Now cwhen His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, d“Take heed and beware of the 3leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you 4have brought no bread? 9 eDo you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 fNor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the 5leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the 6doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Revelation of the Person of the King
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, g“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, h“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ione of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do jyou say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, k“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, lfor flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but mMy Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that nyou are Peter, and oon this rock I will build My church, and pthe gates of Hades shall not 7prevail against it. 19 qAnd I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth 8will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 rThen He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began sto show to 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 the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 9“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, tSatan! uYou are 1an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
24 vThen Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and wfollow Me. 25 For xwhoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what yprofit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or zwhat will a man give in exchange for his soul?
The Prophecy of the Second Coming
27 For athe Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father bwith His angels, cand then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, dthere are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36; 2 Pet. 1:17, 18
17 Now aafter six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, 1let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 bWhile he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, c“This is My beloved Son, din whom I am well pleased. eHear Him!” 6 fAnd when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and gtouched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, h“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming 2first and will irestore all things. 12 jBut I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they kdid not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise lthe Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 mThen the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
14 nAnd when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is 3an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O 4faithless and operverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus prebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your 5unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, qif you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 6However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Instruction About Jesus’ Death
22 rNow while they were 7staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly ssorrowful.
24 tWhen they had come to 8Capernaum, those who received the 9temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from ustrangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a 1piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
18 At athat time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little bchild to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, cunless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 dTherefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 eWhoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
6 f“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of 1offenses! For goffenses must come, but hwoe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 i“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into 2hell fire.
10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven jtheir angels always ksee the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 lFor 3the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
12 m“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the nwill of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 “Moreover oif your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, pyou have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that q‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a rheathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, swhatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 t“Again 4I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning …