The Ministry of the Twelve
(Matthew 10:5-15; Mark 6:7-13)
1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
Herod Desires to See Jesus
(Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29)
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; John 6:1-15)
10And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. 13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. 14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 15And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
Peter's Confession of Christ
(Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; John 6:66-71)
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death
(Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33)
21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Take Up Your Cross
(Matthew 10:37-39; Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38)
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
The Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 17:5-10)
37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. 41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
(Luke 18:31-34)
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Matthew 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-37)
46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. 47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, 48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
Samaritans Reject Jesus
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
(Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 14:25-33; John 6:60-65)
57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Matthew 10:5–15; Mark 6:7–13)
1 He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece. 4 Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there. 5 As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.” 6 They departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.
Herod Tries to See Jesus
(Matthew 14:1–12; Mark 6:14–29)
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; John 6:1–15)
10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a deserted place of a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.
12 The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and made them all sit down. 16 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; John 6:67–71)
18 It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” 19 They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.” 20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
Christ’s Passion Foretold
(Matthew 16:21–23; Mark 8:31–33)
21 But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
Take Up Your Cross
(Matthew 16:24–28; Mark 8:34–38)
23 He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self? 26 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; 2 Peter 1:16–21)
28 It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling. 30 Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. 33 It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said. 34 While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. 35 A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” 36 When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
The Boy with an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 17:14–18; Mark 9:14–29)
37 It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him. 38 Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.” 41 Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
The Second Prediction of the Passion
(Matthew 17:22–23; Mark 9:30–32)
43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44 “Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” 45 But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Matthew 18:1–5; Mark 9:33–41)
46 There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”
The Samaritans Reject Jesus
51 It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him. 53 They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. 56 For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” They went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 14:25–33; John 6:59–66)
57 As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.” 58 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Matthew 10:5–15; Mark 6:7–13)
1 Then Jesus called the Twelve a together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, b no second tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that area. 5 If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”
6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
Herod Tries to See Jesus
(Matthew 14:1–12; Mark 6:14–29)
7 When Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, he was perplexed. For some were saying that John had risen from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a prophet of old had arisen.
9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this man I hear such things about?” And he kept trying to see Jesus.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; John 6:1–15)
10 Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.
12 As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”
13 But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.”
“We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (There were about five thousand men.)
He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and everyone was seated.
16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; John 6:67–71)
18 One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that a prophet of old has arisen.”
20 “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
Christ’s Passion Foretold
(Matthew 16:21–23; Mark 8:31–33)
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 “The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Take Up Your Cross
(Matthew 16:24–28; Mark 8:34–38)
23 Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truthfully, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; 2 Peter 1:16–21)
28 About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white. 30 Suddenly two men, Moses and Elijah, began talking with Jesus. 31 They appeared in glory and spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Meanwhile Peter and his companions were overcome by sleep, but when they awoke, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters c—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While Peter was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. d Listen to Him!”
36 After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was present with them. The disciples kept this to themselves, and in those days they did not tell anyone what they had seen.
The Boy with an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 17:14–18; Mark 9:14–29)
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, Jesus was met by a large crowd. 38 Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him. 40 I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
41 “O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
The Second Prediction of the Passion
(Matthew 17:22–23; Mark 9:30–32)
43 And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Matthew 18:1–5; Mark 9:33–41)
46 Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him. 48 And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
The Samaritans Reject Jesus
51 As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven e to consume them?”
55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. f 56 And He and His disciples went on to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 14:25–33; John 6:59–66)
57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
59 Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.”
The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”
62 Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes:
1 a TR His twelve disciples
3 b Or silver coins
33 c Or three tabernacles
35 d BYZ and TR This is My beloved Son ; see Matthew 17:5.
54 e BYZ and TR from heaven, just as Elijah did ; see 2 Kings 1:10–12.
55 f BYZ and TR include and He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of. 56For the Son of Man did not come to destroy the lives of men, but to save them.”
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Matthew 10:5-15; Mark 6:7-13)
1And having called together his twelve disciples, he gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure sicknesses, 2and he sent them to proclaim the reign of God, and to heal the ailing. 3And he said unto them, 'Take nothing for the way, neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats each; 4and into whatever house ye may enter, there remain, and thence depart; 5and as many as may not receive you, going forth from that city, even the dust from your feet shake off, for a testimony against them.' 6And going forth they were going through the several villages, proclaiming good news, and healing everywhere.
Herod Desires to See Jesus
(Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29)
7And Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things being done by him, and was perplexed, because it was said by certain, that John hath been raised out of the dead; 8and by certain, that Elijah did appear, and by others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was risen; 9and Herod said, 'John I did behead, but who is this concerning whom I hear such things?' and he was seeking to see him.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; John 6:1-15)
10And the apostles having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida, 11and the multitudes having known did follow him, and having received them, he was speaking to them concerning the reign of God, and those having need of service he cured.
12And the day began to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, 'Let away the multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.' 13And he said unto them, 'Give ye them to eat;' and they said, 'We have no more than five loaves, and two fishes: except, having gone, we may buy for all this people victuals;' 14for they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, 'Cause them to recline in companies, in each fifty;' 15and they did so, and made all to recline; 16and having taken the five loaves, and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and was giving to the disciples to set before the multitude; 17and they did eat, and were all filled, and there was taken up what was over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
Peter's Confession of Christ
(Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; John 6:66-71)
18And 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?' 19And they answering said, 'John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was risen;' 20and he said to them, 'And ye -- who do ye say me to be?' and Peter answering said, 'The Christ of God.'
Jesus Predicts His Death
(Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33)
21And having charged them, he commanded them to say this to no one, 22saying -- '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.'
Take Up Your Cross
(Matthew 10:37-39; Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38)
23And 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; 24for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake, he shall save it; 25for 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'; 27and 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.'
The Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
28And it came to pass, after these words, as it were eight days, that having taken Peter, and John, and James, he went up to the mountain to pray, 29and it came to pass, in his praying, the appearance of his face became altered, and his garment white -- sparkling. 30And lo, two men were speaking together with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31who having appeared in glory, spake of his outgoing that he was about to fulfil in Jerusalem, 32but Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep, and having waked, they saw his glory, and the two men standing with him. 33And it came to pass, in their parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, 'Master, it is good to us to be here; and we may make three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,' not knowing what he saith: 34and as he was speaking these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them, and they feared in their entering into the cloud, 35and a voice came out of the cloud saying, 'This is My Son -- the Beloved; hear ye him;' 36and when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone; and they were silent, and declared to no one in those days anything of what they have seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 17:5-10)
37And it came to pass on the next day, they having come down from the mount, there met him a great multitude, 38and lo, a man from the multitude cried out, saying, 'Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only begotten; 39and lo, a spirit doth take him, and suddenly he doth cry out, and it teareth him, with foaming, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him, 40and I besought thy disciples that they might cast it out, and they were not able.' 41And Jesus answering said, 'O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you, and suffer you? bring near hither thy son;' 42and as he is yet coming near, the demon rent him, and tore him sore, and Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the youth, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
(Luke 18:31-34)
43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God, and while all are wondering at all things that Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44'Lay ye to your ears these words, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men.' 45And they were not knowing this saying, and it was veiled from them, that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Matthew 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-37)
46And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them? 47and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself, 48and said to them, 'Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all -- he shall be great.'
49And John answering said, 'Master, we saw a certain one in thy name casting forth the demons, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow with us;' 50and Jesus said unto him, 'Forbid not, for he who is not against us, is for us.'
Samaritans Reject Jesus
51And it came to pass, in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his face to go on to Jerusalem, 52and he sent messengers before his face, and having gone on, they went into a village of Samaritans, to make ready for him, 53and they did not receive him, because his face was going on to Jerusalem. 54And his disciples James and John having seen, said, 'Sir, wilt thou that we may command fire to come down from the heaven, and to consume them, as also Elijah did?' 55and having turned, he rebuked them, and said, 'Ye have not known of what spirit ye are; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save;' and they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
(Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 14:25-33; John 6:60-65)
57And it came to pass, as they are going on in the way, a certain one said unto him, 'I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go, sir;' 58and Jesus said to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may recline the head.' 59And he said unto another, 'Be following me;' and he said, 'Sir, permit me, having gone away, first to bury my father;' 60and Jesus said to him, 'Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, and thou, having gone away, publish the reign of God.' 61And another also said, 'I will follow thee, sir, but first permit me to take leave of those in my house;' 62and Jesus said unto him, 'No one having put his hand on a plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of God.'
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
¹ When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.
² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
³ He told them, “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.
⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.
⁵ If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
⁶ So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
Herod Is Perplexed
⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on, and he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead,
⁸ others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.
⁹ But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see Him.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
¹¹ but the crowds learned about it and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
¹² Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to Him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
¹³ He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
¹⁴ (About five thousand men were there.)
But He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
¹⁵ The disciples did so, and everyone sat down.
¹⁶ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
¹⁷ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
¹⁹ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
²⁰ “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
²² And He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
The Cost of Following Jesus
²³ Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.
²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.
²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
²⁷ Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John, and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
²⁹ As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.
³¹ They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.
³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”
³⁶ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
³⁷ The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.
³⁸ A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.
³⁹ A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.
⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
⁴¹ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “How long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
⁴³ And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, He said to His disciples,
⁴⁴ “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”
⁴⁵ But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
⁴⁶ An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
⁴⁷ Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside Him.
⁴⁸ Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
Whoever Is Not Against You Is for You
⁴⁹ “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Samaritan Opposition
⁵¹ As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
⁵² And He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for Him;
⁵³ but the people there did not welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
⁵⁶ Then He and His disciples went to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow Me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes:
9:5: Shaking the dust off one’s feet was a symbolic gesture of separation, marking the rejection of those who refused the message.
9:16: Jesus breaking the bread and giving thanks emphasizes God’s provision and the abundance that follows trust in Him.
9:22: Jesus’ prediction of His suffering highlights His role as the Suffering Servant, fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah 53.
9:35: The voice from the cloud echoes the Father’s affirmation of Jesus’ divine Sonship, as seen at His baptism.
9:43: The people’s amazement at God’s greatness reflects their growing understanding of Jesus’ divine authority over all things.
9:48: Jesus’ teaching on welcoming children reveals His upside-down kingdom values, where the least are considered the greatest.
9:62: Jesus’ statement about looking back challenges the seriousness of following Him—it requires full commitment without hesitation.
