The Pharisees Demand a Sign
Matthew 16The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered them, “When it is evening, y’all say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red.’ In the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and threatening.’ Y’all know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but y’all can’t figure out the signs of the times! An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then he left them and departed.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The disciples came to the other side, but they had forgotten to take bread. Jesus told them, “Y’all watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They discussed this among themselves, saying, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Aware of this, Jesus, said, “Y’all of little faith! Why are y’all talking about not having bread? Don’t y’all understand? Don’t y’all remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets y’all picked up? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets y’all picked up? How is it that y’all don’t understand that I wasn’t talking to y’all about bread? But y’all beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they understood that he was not saying to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Understands Jesus’s Identity
Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Humanity, is?”
They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do y’all say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter. Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Empire of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.” Then he commanded the disciples not to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Jesus Explains His Coming Death
From that time, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never happen to you.”
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on human concerns.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. For what will does it benefit a human if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what can a human give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Humanity will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to their deeds. Truly I tell y’all, there are some standing here not taste of death until they see the Son of Humanity coming in his empire.”