Matthew 16

Evangelical Heritage Version

A Sign From Heaven

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and, as a test, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ² But he answered them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red.’ ³ In the morning you say, ‘It will be stormy weather today because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times! ⁴ An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” He left them and went away.

Watch Out for the Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When his disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread along. ⁶ Jesus said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ They were discussing this among themselves and said, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”

⁸ Since Jesus knew what they were saying, he said, “You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you brought no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? ¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

¹² Then they understood that he was not warning them about the yeast in bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus Is the Christ

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

¹⁴ They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell^[a] will not overpower it.^{[b] 19} I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be^[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he commanded the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

²¹ From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.”

²³ But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare^[d] to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵ In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father together with his angels, and then he will repay everyone according to his actions. ²⁸ Amen I tell you: Some who are standing here will certainly not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”