Matthew 16:1-20
Jesus Is Asked for a Sign
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus. They asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
He replied, “In the evening you look at the sky. You say, ‘It will be good weather. The sky is red.’ And in the morning you say, ‘Today it will be stormy. The sky is red and cloudy.’ You know the meaning of what you see in the sky. But you can’t understand the signs of what is happening right now. An evil and unfaithful people look for a sign. But none will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. They had forgotten to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
The disciples talked about this among themselves. They said, “He must be saying this because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Jesus knew what they were saying. So he said, “Your faith is so small! Why are you talking to each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? Don’t you remember the seven loaves for the 4,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? How can you possibly not understand? I wasn’t talking to you about bread. But watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then the disciples understood that Jesus was not telling them to watch out for the yeast used in bread. He was warning them against what the Pharisees and Sadducees taught.
Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah
Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. There he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere human showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.” Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
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