Then the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to tempt him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 And 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 .' O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky; can you not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and there will no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah." And he left them and went away.
5 Now when his disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to bring bread.
6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have brought no bread."
8 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves that it is because you have brought no bread?
9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets full you gathered up?
10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many remaining baskets you gathered up?
11 How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, but that you should beware the yeast of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?"
12 Then they understood that he did not command them to beware the yeast of bread, but to beware the doctrines of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
13 Now when Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?"
14 And they said, "Some say that you are John the Baptist, some Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But whom do you say that I am?"
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Then Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. [We too must recognize the Word of God within our hearts as Jesus by revelation from the Lord.]
18 And I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;1 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
20 Then he charged his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth Jesus began to show his disciples how he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Let this not be, Lord; this must not happen to you."
23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!2 You are an offence to me; for you do not understand the things that are of God, but only those that are of men."
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [To follow Christ you must humbly get quiet to listen for his word within your heart, then you must wait to hear Him, then you must obey Him. To obey is to follow. Self-denial occurs by obeying the Lord's voice instead of your will, (His will, not your will); this is taking up the cross.]
25 For whoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.3 [When you continually deny yourself and obey the Lord's commands, you will eventually lose your selfish life, and thereby find Life in union with God.]
26 For what benefit is it to a man, if he should gain the whole world, but lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he will reward every man according to his works.
28 Truly I say to you, There are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."4
