Luke 9:7–27

HEROD’S DESIRE TO SEE JESUS

⁷Herod the tetrarch^ac heard about everything that was going on.^ad He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸some that Elijah had appeared,^ae and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.^{af 9}“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.^ag

FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND

¹⁰When the apostles returned,^ah they reported to Jesus all that they had done.^ai He took them along and withdrew privately to a^C town called Bethsaida.^{aj 11}When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,^ak spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹²Late in the day,^al the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away,^am so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³“You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loaves^an and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴(For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down^D in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,^ao he blessed and broke them.^ap He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

PETER’S CONFESSION OF THE MESSIAH

¹⁸While he was praying in private^aq and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”^Aa

²⁰“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”^b

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION PREDICTED

²¹But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,^{c 22}saying,^d “It is necessary that the Son of Man^e suffer many things^f and be rejected^g by the elders, chief priests, and scribes,^h be killed, and be raised the third day.”ⁱ

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

²³Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after^B me, let him deny himself,^j take up his cross daily,^C and follow me.^{k 24}For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.^{l 25}For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?^{m 26}For whoever is ashamed of me and my words,ⁿ the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory^o and that of the Father and the holy angels.^{p 27}Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death^q until they see the kingdom of God.”^r