Matthew 16

The Signs of the Times

16And when^* the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test him,^* they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ²So he answered and^* said to them, “When^* evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red,’ ³and early in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy weather, because the sky is red and^* darkening.’ You know how to evaluate correctly the appearance of the sky, but you are not able to evaluate^* the signs of the times. ⁴An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah!” And he left them and^* went away.

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵And when^* the disciples arrived at the other side,^a they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶And Jesus said to them, “Watch out for and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” ⁷So they were discussing this^* among themselves, saying, “It is because we did not take bread.” ⁸But knowing this,^* Jesus said, “Why are you discussing among yourselves that you did not take bread,^b you of little faith? ⁹Do you not yet understand or do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹¹How do you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” ¹²Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi

¹³Now when^* Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,^c he began asking^* his disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, Some^d say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and^* said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” ¹⁷And Jesus answered and^* said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this^* to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it! ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound^e in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released^f in heaven.” ²⁰Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

²¹From that time on Jesus began to show 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 on the third day. ²²And Peter took him aside and^* began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid,^g Lord! This will never happen to you!” ²³But he turned around and^* said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a cause for stumbling to me, because you are not intent on the things of God, but the things of people!”

Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. ²⁶For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to what he has done.^{h 28}Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”