[Jesus told His disciples] about the terrible things He would suffer, and that He would be rejected by the elders and the Chief Priests and the other Jewish leaders - and be killed, and that He would rise again three days afterwards. He talked about it quite frankly with them, so Peter took Him aside and chided Him. "You shouldn't say things like that," he told Jesus. Jesus turned and looked at His disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, "Satan, get behind Me! You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God's." Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If anyone wants to be a follower of Mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me . . . For I, the Son of Mankind, shall come with My angels in the glory of My Father . . . Some of you who are standing here right now will live to see the kingdom of God arrive in great power."
   Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John to the top of a high and lonely hill, and as they watched, His appearance changed so that His face shone like the sun and His clothing became dazzling white. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
   Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, I will put up three shelters - one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," He said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
   The disciples asked Him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Taken from Mk. 8, Mt. 16, 17, Mk. 9, The Living Bible and
The New International Version. For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575,
Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.