Matthew 16:13-28; Matthew 17:1-20

13 Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Human One is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

15 He said, "And what about you? Who do you say that I am?"

16 Simon Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Then Jesus replied, "Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you.

18 I tell you that you are Peter. And I'll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won't be able to stand against it.

19 I'll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven."

20 Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Christ.

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and legal experts, and that he had to be killed and raised on the third day.

22 Then Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him: "God forbid, Lord! This won't happen to you."

23 But he turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are a stone that could make me stumble, for you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts."

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.

25 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them.

26 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives?

27 For the Human One is about to come with the majesty of his Father with his angels. And then he will repay each one for what that person has done.

28 I assure you that some standing here won't die before they see the Human One coming in his kingdom."

1 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain.

2 He was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

3 Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, "Lord, it's good that we're here. If you want, I'll make three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5 While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son whom I dearly love. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!"

6 Hearing this, the disciples fell on their faces, filled with awe.

7 But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."

8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anybody about the vision until the Human One is raised from the dead."

10 The disciples asked, "Then why do the legal experts say that Elijah must first come?"

11 Jesus responded, "Elijah does come first and will restore all things.

12 In fact, I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they didn't know him. But they did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way the Human One is also going to suffer at their hands."

13 Then the disciples realized he was telling them about John the Baptist.

14 When they came to the crowd, a man met Jesus. He knelt before him,

15 saying, "Lord, show mercy to my son. He is epileptic and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire or the water.

16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him."

17 Jesus answered, "You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."

18 Then Jesus spoke harshly to the demon. And it came out of the child, who was healed from that time on.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and said, "Why couldn't we throw the demon out?"

20 "Because you have little faith," he said. "I assure you that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Go from here to there,' and it will go. There will be nothing that you can't do."