The Demand for a Sign (Mark 8:11–13; Luke 12:54–56)
1 UDB Some Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and said to him, "Show us that God has really sent you to us! Do a miracle in the sky and use his power to convince us!" BSB BSB: Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 UDB He answered them, "In our country, if the sky is red in the evening, we say, 'It will be good weather tomorrow.' BSB BSB: But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’
3 UDB But if the sky is red in the morning we say, 'It will be stormy weather today.' By looking at the sky, you can tell what the weather will be, but when you see the things that are now happening all around you, you do not understand what God is doing. BSB BSB: and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.
4 UDB You evil people have seen me perform miracles, but you do not faithfully worship God. So I will do no miracle for you except the miracle that happened to Jonah the prophet, who spent three days inside a huge fish but came out again." Then Jesus left them and sailed away, along with his disciples. BSB BSB: A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mark 8:14–21; Luke 12:1–3)
5 UDB They all sailed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Then the disciples realized that they had forgotten to take anything to eat with them. BSB BSB: When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread.
6 UDB At that point, Jesus said to them, "Be careful not to accept the yeast that the Pharisees and Sadducees want to give you." BSB BSB: “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 UDB They tried to make sense out of what Jesus had told them, and they said to each other, "He must have said that because we forgot to bring anything to eat!" BSB BSB: They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”
8 UDB But Jesus knew what they were saying and answered them, "You believe only a little about what I am able to do for you. Why are you discussing about why there is no bread for you to eat? BSB BSB: Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?
9 UDB Do not think I am worried about having food. Have you really forgotten how I fed the five thousand with five loaves, or how many baskets of leftover food you gathered up? BSB BSB: Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
10 UDB Or what about the four thousand people who ate when I multiplied the seven small loaves? And how many baskets of scraps did you gather up then? BSB BSB: Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
11 UDB You should have understood that I was not really speaking about bread. Do not accept yeast from the Pharisees and the Sadducees." BSB BSB: How do you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12 UDB Then the disciples understood that Jesus was not talking about the yeast that is in bread. Instead, he was talking about the wrong teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. BSB BSB: Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter’s Confession of Christ (Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20; John 6:67–71)
13 UDB When Jesus and his disciples entered into the region near the city of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, "Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, really am?" BSB BSB: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 UDB They answered, "Some people say that you are John the Baptizer who has come back to life again. Others say that you are the prophet Elijah who has returned from heaven as God promised. Still others say that you are the prophet Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets who lived long ago who has come back to life again." BSB BSB: They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 UDB Jesus said to them, "What about you? Who do you say that I am?" BSB BSB: “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 UDB Simon Peter said to him, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." BSB BSB: Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 UDB Then Jesus said to him, "Simon, son of Jonah, God is pleased with you. What you just said—no human has revealed this to you. Instead, it was my Father who lives in heaven who has revealed this to you. BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
19 UDB Then he said, "I will enable you to open or close the way for people to come under the rule of God from heaven. Whatever you permit on earth, God will permit in heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth, God will prohibit in heaven." BSB BSB: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 UDB At that time, Jesus strongly warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. BSB BSB: Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.
Christ’s Passion Foretold (Mark 8:31–33; Luke 9:21–22)
21 UDB From that time Jesus began to teach the disciples that it was necessary for him to go to the city of Jerusalem. There the ruling elders, the chief priests, and the men who taught the Jewish laws would cause him to suffer and die. Then, on the third day after that, he would come alive again. BSB BSB: From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 UDB But Peter took Jesus aside and began to scold him for saying these things. He said, "Lord, may God never permit that to happen to you! That must certainly not happen!" BSB BSB: Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”
23 UDB Then Jesus turned to look at Peter, and he said to him, "Get out of my sight, because Satan is speaking through you. You are trying to get me to sin. You are not thinking what God thinks, but only what people think!" BSB BSB: But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take Up Your Cross (Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23–27)
24 UDB Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to trust me and go where I am going, he must put away his own desires and purposes, and he must take up his own cross, and go where I go. BSB BSB: Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
25 UDB Whoever tries to save his own life will find that instead of saving his life, he will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me, he will find his life. BSB BSB: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 UDB What good would it be for a person to get everything he wants in this world but then for him to lose his life? What will a man gain in his possessions that would be as valuable as his own life? BSB BSB: What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 UDB Listen carefully. I, the Son of Man, will leave this earth, but I will return, and the angels of heaven will accompany me. At that time I will have the glorious light that my Father has, and I will reward everyone according to what they did when they were alive in this world. BSB BSB: For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
28 UDB Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see me, the Son of Man, when I come to begin my rule as king!" BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”