161 And the Pharisees and Sadducees having come, tempting, did question him, to shew to them a sign from the heaven, 2 and he answering said to them, 'Evening having come, ye say, Fair weather, for the heaven is red, 3 and at morning, Foul weather to-day, for the heaven is red—gloomy; hypocrites, the face of the heavens indeed ye do know to discern, but the signs of the times ye are not able! 4 'A generation evil and adulterous doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet;' and having left them he went away.
5 And his disciples having come to the other side, forgot to take loaves, 6 and Jesus said to them, 'Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;' 7 and they were reasoning in themselves, saying, 'Because we took no loaves.' 8 And Jesus having known, said to them, 'Why reason ye in yourselves, ye of little faith, because ye took no loaves? 9 do ye not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many hand-baskets ye took up? 10 nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 how do ye not understand that I did not speak to you of bread—to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?' 12 Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13 And Jesus, having come to the parts of Cesarea Philippi, was asking his disciples, saying, 'Who do men say me to be—the Son of Man?' 14 and they said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' 15 He saith to them, 'And ye—who do ye say me to be?' 16 and Simon Peter answering said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 And Jesus answering said to him, 'Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal 'it' to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens. 18 'And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it; 19 and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.' 20 Then did he charge his disciples that they may say to no one that he is Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time began Jesus to shew 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 put to death, and the third day to rise. 22 And having taken him aside, Peter began to rebuke him, saying, 'Be kind to thyself, sir; this shall not be to thee;' 23 and he having turned, said to Peter, 'Get thee behind me, adversary! thou art a stumbling-block to me, for thou dost not mind the things of God, but the things of men.'
24 Then said Jesus to his disciples, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, 25 for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake shall find it, 26 for what is a man profited if he may gain the whole world, but of his life suffer loss? or what shall a man give as an exchange for his life? 27 'For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work. 28 Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.'
81 In those days the multitude being very great, and not having what they may eat, Jesus having called near his disciples, saith to them, 2 'I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they do continue with me, and they have not what they may eat; 3 and if I shall let them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way, for certain of them are come from far.' 4 And his disciples answered him, 'Whence shall any one be able these here to feed with bread in a wilderness?' 5 And he was questioning them, 'How many loaves have ye?' and they said, 'Seven.' 6 And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground, and having taken the seven loaves, having given thanks, he brake, and was giving to his disciples that they may set before 'them'; and they did set before the multitude. 7 And they had a few small fishes, and having blessed, he said to set them also before 'them'; 8 and they did eat and were filled, and they took up that which was over of broken pieces—seven baskets; 9 and those eating were about four thousand. And he let them away,
10 and immediately having entered into the boat with his disciples, he came to the parts of Dalmanutha,
11 and the Pharisees came forth, and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from the heaven, tempting him; 12 and having sighed deeply in his spirit, he saith, 'Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.' 13 And having left them, having entered again into the boat, he went away to the other side;
14 and they forgot to take loaves, and except one loaf they had nothing with them in the boat, 15 and he was charging them, saying, 'Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod,' 16 and they were reasoning with one another, saying—'Because we have no loaves.' 17 And Jesus having known, saith to them, 'Why do ye reason, because ye have no loaves? do ye not yet perceive, nor understand, yet have ye your heart hardened? 18 Having eyes, do ye not see? and having ears, do ye not hear? and do ye not remember? 19 When the five loaves I did brake to the five thousand, how many hand-baskets full of broken pieces took ye up?' they say to him, 'Twelve.' 20 'And when the seven to the four thousand, how many hand-baskets full of broken pieces took ye up?' and they said, 'Seven.' 21 And he said to them, 'How do ye not understand?'
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring to him one blind, and call upon him that he may touch him, 23 and having taken the hand of the blind man, he led him forth without the village, and having spit on his eyes, having put 'his' hands on him, he was questioning him if he doth behold anything: 24 and he, having looked up, said, 'I behold men, as I see trees, walking.' 25 Afterwards again he put 'his' hands on his eyes, and made him look up, and he was restored, and discerned all things clearly, 26 and he sent him away to his house, saying, 'Neither to the village mayest thou go, nor tell 'it' to any in the village.'
27 And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, to the villages of Cesarea Philippi, and in the way he was questioning his disciples, saying to them, 'Who do men say me to be?' 28 And they answered, 'John the Baptist, and others Elijah, but others one of the prophets.' 29 And he saith to them, 'And ye—who do ye say me to be?' and Peter answering saith to him, 'Thou art the Christ.' 30 And he strictly charged them that they may tell no one about it,
31 and began to teach them, that it behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise again; 32 and openly he was speaking the word. And Peter having taken him aside, began to rebuke him, 33 and he, having turned, and having looked on his disciples, rebuked Peter, saying, 'Get behind me, Adversary, because thou dost not mind the things of God, but the things of men.' 34 And having called near the multitude, with his disciples, he said to them, 'Whoever doth will to come after me—let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; 35 for whoever may will to save his life shall lose it; and whoever may lose his life for my sake and for the good news' sake, he shall save it; 36 for what shall it profit a man, if he may gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 37 Or what shall a man give as an exchange for his life? 38 for whoever may be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when he may come in the glory of his Father, with the holy messengers.'
18 And it came to pass, as he is praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he questioned them, saying, 'Who do the multitudes say me to be?' 19 And they answering said, 'John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was risen;' 20 and he said to them, 'And ye—who do ye say me to be?' and Peter answering said, 'The Christ of God.'
21 And having charged them, he commanded 'them' to say this to no one, 22 saying—'It behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and the third day to be raised.' 23 And he said unto all, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me; 24 for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake, he shall save it; 25 for what is a man profited, having gained the whole world, and having lost or having forfeited himself? 26 'For whoever may be ashamed of me, and of my words, of this one shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he may come in his glory, and the Father's, and the holy messengers'; 27 and I say to you, truly, there are certain of those here standing, who shall not taste of death till they may see the reign of God.'
(Read Luke 9:18-27)
It is an unspeakable comfort that our Lord Jesus is God's Anointed; this signifies that he was both appointed to be the Messiah, and qualified for it. Jesus discourses concerning his own sufferings and death. And so far must his disciples be from thinking how to prevent his sufferings, that they must prepare for their own. We often meet with crosses in the way of duty; and though we must not pull them upon our own heads, yet, when they are laid for us, we must take them up, and carry them after Christ. It is well or ill with us, according as it is well or ill with our souls. The body cannot be happy, if the soul be miserable in the other world; but the soul may be happy, though the body is greatly afflicted and oppressed in this world. We must never be ashamed of Christ and his gospel.
