Matthew 16

Chapter 16

Leaders Demand a Miraculous Sign

1 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow;3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!t

4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.t” Then Jesus left them and went away.

Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread.

6 “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread.8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread?9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up?10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up?

11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

12 Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”t

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,t the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,t because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),t and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hellt will not conquer it.

19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbidt on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permitt on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From then on Jesust began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand himt for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?t Is anything worth more than your soul?27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

MATTHEW 16

A Demand for a Sign //from Heaven

(Mark 8.11-13; Luke 12.54-56)

1  t 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.t

4 t 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.t
Then Jesus left.

The Yeast of the Pharisees //and Sadducees

(Mark 8.14-21)

6 t 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 t 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 t 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 8.27-30; Luke 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  t The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijaht or Jeremiah or some other prophet.”

15 Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”

16  t 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 t 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—9.1; Luke 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  t 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 t If you want to save your life, t 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  t 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.