The Demand for a Sign
(Mark 8:11-13; Luke 12:54-56)

1And the Pharisees and Sadducees having approached testing Him, asked Him to show them a sign out of heaven.

2And answering He said to them, “Evening having come, you say, ‘Fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3and in the morning, ‘Today a storm, for the sky is red, being overcast.’ Indeed you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but the signs of the timesa you are not able! 4An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” And having left them, He went away.

The Leaven to Beware
(Mark 8:14-21)

5And the disciples, having come to the other side, forgot to take bread. 6And Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, “It is because we did not take bread.”

8But having known this, Jesus said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, because you did not take bread? 9Do you not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many hand-baskets you gathered? 10Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11How do you not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?”

12Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter's Confession of Christ
(Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-20; John 6:66-71)

13And Jesus having come into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was questioning His disciples saying, “Whom do men pronounce the Son of Man to be?”

14And they said, “Some indeed, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15He says to them, “But whom do you pronounce Me to be?”

16And Simon Peter answering said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17And Jesus answering, said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! For flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in the heavens. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades not will prevail against it. 19I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you might bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you might loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens.”

20Then He instructed the disciples that they should tell no one that He is the Christ.

Christ's Passion Foretold
(Mark 8:31-33; Luke 9:21-22)

21From that time Jesusb began to show to His disciples that it is necessary for Him to go away to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised on the third day.

22And Peter having taken Him aside, began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord! This never will be to You!”

23And having turned, He said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For your thoughts are not of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up Your Cross
(Matthew 10:37-39; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27)

24Then Jesus said His to disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25For whoever might desire to save his life will lose it; but whoever might lose his life on account of Me will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give as an exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory His Father, with His angels, and then He will give to each according to his deeds.

28Truly I say to you, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste of death until they have seen the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”