A Demand for a Sign from Heaven
(Mark 8.11-13Luke 12.54-56)1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to test him by asking for a sign from heaven. 2 He told them:
If the sky is red in the evening, you say the weather will be good. 3 But if the sky is red and gloomy in the morning, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you don't understand what is happening now. 4 You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will be given is what happened to Jonah.
Then Jesus left.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
(Mark 8.14-21)5 The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake. 6 Jesus then warned them, “Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 The disciples talked this over and said to each other, “He must be saying this because we didn't bring along any bread.”
8 Jesus knew what they were thinking and said:
You surely don't have much faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread? 9 Don't you understand? Have you forgotten about the 5,000 people and all those baskets of leftovers from just five loaves of bread? 10 And what about the 4,000 people and all those baskets of leftovers from only seven loaves of bread? 11 Don't you know by now that I am not talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!
12 Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn't talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Who Is Jesus?
(Mark 8.27-30Luke 9.18-21)13 When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, “What do people say about the Son of Man?”
14 The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet.”
15 Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter spoke up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus told him:
Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. 18 So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock.” On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything you don't allow.
20 Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah.
Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death
(Mark 8.31—9.1Luke 9.22-27)21 From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life.”
22 Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, “God would never let this happen to you, Lord!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples:
If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. 25 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 26 What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?
27 The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done. 28 I promise you some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.
1 Then came the Pharises and Sadduces, and did tempt him, desiring him to shew them a signe from heauen. 2 But he answered, and said vnto them, When it is euening, ye say, Faire wether: for ye skie is red. 3 And in the morning ye say, To day shall be a tempest: for the skie is red and lowring. O hypocrites, ye can discerne the face of the skie, and can ye not discerne the signes of the times? 4 The wicked generation, and adulterous seeketh a signe, but there shall no signe be giuen it, but that signe of the Prophet Ionas: so hee left them, and departed. 5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread with them. 6 Then Iesus said vnto them, Take heede and beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Sadduces. 7 And they reasoned among themselues, saying, It is because we haue brought no bread. 8 But Iesus knowing it, saide vnto them, O ye of litle faith, why reason you thus among your selues, because ye haue brought no bread? 9 Doe ye not yet perceiue, neither remember the fiue loaues, when there were fiue thousand men, and how many baskets tooke ye vp? 10 Neither the seuen loaues when there were foure thousande men, and howe many baskets tooke ye vp? 11 Why perceiue ye not that I said not vnto you concerning bread, that ye shoulde beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Sadduces? 12 Then vnderstood they that he had not said that they should beware of the leauen of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharises, and Sadduces. 13 Nowe when Iesus came into the coastes of Cesarea Philippi, hee asked his disciples, saying, Whome doe men say that I, the sonne of man am? 14 And they said, Some say, Iohn Baptist: and some, Elias: and others, Ieremias, or one of the Prophets. 15 He said vnto them, But whome say ye that I am? 16 Then Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art that Christ, the Sonne of the liuing God. 17 And Iesus answered, and saide to him, Blessed art thou, Simon, the sonne of Ionas: for flesh and blood hath not reueiled it vnto thee, but my Father which is in heauen. 18 And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church: and ye gates of hell shall not ouercome it. 19 And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth, shalbe bound in heauen: and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heauen. 20 Then hee charged his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Iesus that Christ. 21 From that time foorth Iesus beganne to shewe vnto his disciples, that he must goe vnto Hierusalem, and suffer many thinges of the Elders, and of the hie Priestes, and Scribes, and be slaine, and be raised againe the thirde day. 22 Then Peter tooke him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, Master, pitie thy selfe: this shall not be vnto thee. 23 Then he turned backe, and said vnto Peter, Get thee behinde me, Satan: thou art an offence vnto me, because thou vnderstandest not the thinges that are of God, but the thinges that are of men. 24 Iesus then saide to his disciples, If any man will follow me, let him forsake himselfe: and take vp his crosse, and follow me. 25 For whosoeuer will saue his life, shall lose it: and whosoeuer shall lose his life for my sake, shall finde it. 26 For what shall it profite a man though he should winne the whole worlde, if hee lose his owne soule? or what shall a man giue for recompence of his soule? 27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels, and then shall he giue to euery man according to his deedes. 28 Verely I say vnto you, there bee some of them that stande here, which shall not taste of death, till they haue seene the Sonne of man come in his kingdome.