¹⁸ When Jesus was alone praying, his disciples came to him, and he asked them, "What do people say about me?"

¹⁹ They answered, "Some say that you are John the Baptist or Elijah[e] or a prophet from long ago who has come back to life."

²⁰ Jesus then asked them, "But who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "You are the Messiah sent from God."

²¹ Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this.

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

²² Jesus told his disciples, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. They will reject him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life."

²³ Then Jesus said to all the people:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. ²⁴ If you want to save your life,[f] you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.