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Pharisees Test Jesus

¹ Now ^(C1)the ^(C2)Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus to get something to use against Him, they ^(C3)asked Him to show them a sign from heaven which would support His divine authority.² But He replied to them, "^(F1)(C1)When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'³ "And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.' ^(C1)You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times?⁴ "^(C1)An evil and morally unfaithful generation craves a miraculous sign; but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then He left them and went away. ^(VR1)

⁵ When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they realized that they had forgotten to bring bread.⁶ Jesus said to them, "Watch out and ^(C1)be on your guard against the ^(F1)leaven of the ^(C2)Pharisees and Sadducees."⁷ They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, "He said that because we did not bring bread."⁸ But Jesus, aware of this, said, "^(C1)You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread?⁹ "Do you still not understand or remember ^(C1)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?¹⁰ "Or ^(C1)the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?¹¹ "How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But ^(C1)beware of the leaven of the ^(C2)Pharisees and Sadducees."¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the false teaching of the ^(C1)Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter's Confession of Christ

^13 (C1)Now when Jesus went into the ^(F1)region of ^(C2)Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that ^(C3)the Son of Man is?" ^(VR1)14 And they answered, "Some say ^(C1)John the Baptist; others, ^(C2)Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or just one of the prophets."¹⁵ He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, "You are ^(C1)the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), ^(C2)the Son of ^(C3)the living God."¹⁷ Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed happy, spiritually secure, favored by God are you, ^(C1)Simon son of Jonah, because ^(C2)flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.¹⁸ "And I say to you that you are ^(F1)(C1)Peter, and on this ^(F2)rock I will build My church; and the ^(F3)gates of ^(C2)Hades (death) will not overpower it by preventing the resurrection of the Christ. ^(VR1)19 "I will give you ^(C1)the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and ^(C2)whatever you bind forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful on earth ^(F1)will have already been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose permit, declare lawful on earth ^(F2)will have already been loosed in heaven." ^{(VR1)20 (C1)}Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was ^(C2)the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Jesus Foretells His Death

^21 (F1)(C1)From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples clearly that He must go to Jerusalem, and ^(C2)endure many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be killed, and be raised from death to life on the third day. ^(VR1)22 Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprimand Him, saying, "May God forbid it! This will never happen to You."²³ But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, ^(C1)Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man."

Discipleship Is Costly

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me as My disciple, he must deny himself set aside selfish interests, and ^(C1)take up his cross expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come and follow Me believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me.²⁵ "For ^(C1)whoever wishes to save his life in this world will eventually lose it through death, but whoever loses his life in this world for My sake will find it that is, life with Me for all eternity.²⁶ "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world wealth, fame, success, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?²⁷ "For the ^(C1)Son of Man ^(C2)is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and ^(C3)THEN HE WILL REPAY EACH ONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT HE HAS DONE. ^(VR1)

²⁸ "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there are some of ^(F1)those standing here who will not taste death before they see the ^(C1)Son of Man ^(C2)coming in His kingdom."