Matthew (Written)

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then, Jesus, He said to His disciples, ‘If any, he desires to come after Me, let him disown himself, and he took his cross, and he follows Me’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus turned and said to Peter to get behind Him because Peter was an offense to Him. Peter was being mindful of the things of men rather than God. Matthew next records, “Then, Jesus, He said to His disciples.”

Mark and Luke add more detail. Mark says, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also.” Luke apparently confirms this, saying, “Then He said to them all.” There is no contradiction. Matthew is focusing on the disciples. What Jesus says is, “If any, he desires to come after Me.”

Many translations say, “If any man will come after me…” Unless you are using the word to mean “desire,” which it doesn’t always mean, the thought is insufficient. The word theló signifies a determined intent, such as want, desire, etc. To say, “If any man will,” might include those who do, but don’t desire to do so.

Jesus is referring to those who voluntarily follow in His footsteps. Of them, He continues, “let him disown himself.”

It is a new word, aparneomai, to deny utterly or disown. It is an intensification of arneomai, to deny. There is a sense of an utter refusal to identify with the original source involved. In essence, “I once followed this path. It was my general walk of life. However, I am now following Jesus’ path and utterly reject the one I once followed.”

There is a break from the old to take up the new. In this new path, He next says, “and he took his cross, and he follows Me.”

Notice how Jesus doesn’t say, “And he takes up My cross and follows Me.” This is similar to Matthew 10:38 –

“And who not, he receives his cross, and he follows after Me, not he is worthy of Me” (CG).

In both instances, Jesus instructs His hearers to receive their cross, not His. This, then, is the beginning and fundamental error of ten thousand commentaries and sermons over the years. Does what Jesus just said square with these words –

“The allusion is, to Christ’s bearing his own cross, and Simeon’s carrying it after him, which afterwards came to pass.” John Gill, et. al.

It is true that Jesus has alluded to His suffering and death, but that is future. He is not asking them to pick up His cross at all. They have a cross to bear in following Him at this time. Whatever burden He bears, they should be willing to follow Him. They have no idea that He will die on a cross, and when it happened, they were utterly dejected and confused. In fact –

“Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’
¹⁹ And He said to them, ‘What things?’
So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.’” Luke 24:18-21

These disciples, indicative of all of them, failed to understand anything at all about Jesus’ cross. When Jesus tells them to pick up their cross, He is telling them that whatever burdens they have on His path, even if it results in death, is a path they must choose. This is why Jesus rebuked Peter over His appeal concerning the things He would suffer.

In the new dispensation, the dispensation of grace, which began after Jesus’ completed work, we are not instructed to take up our cross at all. That is failed sermon speak. What does Paul say? In Galatians 6, the answer is seen –

“For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:13-15

Jesus was on a trek to fulfill the law and die in fulfillment of it. Those who followed Him were to see this, understand that this was what had to take place (as He explicitly told them), and to take up their own cross, following Him.

With Jesus’ work complete, we now accept peace with God through His cross.

Life application: The dispensational model is correct. God is working in certain ways at certain times to reveal and complete His plan of redemption. The problem is that even dispensationalist teachers and preachers fail to keep the boxes straight.

We do not have a cross to bear in the sense that people speak of when they evaluate Matthew 16:24. Rather, we have a cross to accept, revel in, and boast about, meaning the cross of Jesus Christ. Pay attention to what Jesus says in the context in which He says it.

Consider the full scope of what He is referring to, including the stunned reaction of those who saw Christ crucified and thought, “We had a failed hope.” Then consider the victory of what really transpired. Jesus Christ did redeem Israel. He also redeemed all of Adam’s fallen seed who are willing to come to Him through His cross.

We don’t have to give up this life to obtain it, except in the sense that we are converted to a new life in Christ positionally. We can continue as plumbers, executives, store clerks, or whatever other profession we find ourselves in. We can continue to live in our homes, remain married to our spouses, and so on.

Revel in the new life you have been given, even as you continue to live out your current life in the presence of God who sent His Son to redeem you unto Himself. Yes, revel in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God Almighty, You are great and greatly to be praised. All glory, honor, and majesty belong to You, forever and ever. Thank You for Jesus Christ and His cross. May that always be our boast. To Your glory, amen.

Monday, 9 February 2026

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And, having turned, He said to Peter, ‘You withdraw behind Me, Satan! Snare, you are, to Me. For you think not these of God but these of men’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Peter, without proper thought, admonished Jesus for His words concerning His destiny in Jerusalem. Because of his words, it now says of Jesus, “And, having turned.”

We can only speculate what this means. Was Jesus not directly facing Peter until he spoke, but after hearing his words, Jesus turned toward him? Did Jesus turn towards the disciples to allow them to clearly hear what He was going to say, or did Jesus turn His back to Peter, while speaking as a sign of contempt and admonishment?

The latter seems the most likely. Peter would probably have been facing Jesus. With his words contradicting what Jesus said, Jesus probably turned around with His back now to Peter. With this symbolic act accomplished, the next words would have full effect: “He said to Peter, ‘You withdraw behind Me, Satan!’”

The turning, then, would be a metaphor for the words themselves, confirming His words as an object lesson to Peter. It is the same thought, with the added object lesson, that Jesus said to Satan in Matthew 4:10, “You withdraw Satan!” Peter has taken over the bidding of Satan in his unwitting attempt to frustrate God’s plans for man’s redemption.

This would be what Luke was referring to in Luke 4:13 –

“Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”

The devil took full advantage of Peter’s overzealous and unintelligent utterance to tempt Jesus. But Jesus was already prepared to defend the Father’s will by standing against such an appeal. With His object lesson and admonishment accomplished, Jesus continues, saying, “Snare, you are, to Me.”

The word skandalon has already been seen. It signifies a trap-stick that is used to snare an animal. It is quite often translated as a stumbling block. Jesus is saying that Peter’s words are Satan’s attempt to trip Jesus up, causing Him to falter through sin.

Once one is in a snare, he is entrapped. Sinning, which it would be for Jesus by denying the Father’s will for Him, would be the result if He were so ensnared. But Jesus prevailed over this. His words continue, saying, “For you think not these of God but these of men.”

Peter had just been told that because of his proclamation, revealed to him by the Father, he would possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven. And yet, he still had an earthly view of God’s plans. He was a work in progress, something that continued on long after Jesus had completed His earthly ministry.

Life application: Paul uses the same term, skandalon, when referring to the crucifixion of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 1:23 and Galatians 5:11. His crucifixion is the basis for the gospel of salvation. In fact, in 1 Corinthians, he directly makes the connection –

“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block [skandalon] and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:20-25

A trap is something that is hidden and unnoticed. If someone knew he would be trapped, he would simply avoid the thing. However, people overlook what they don’t see. This is what the gospel is like. It is so simple and unassuming that people miss its significance. But in denying the efficacy of the cross, people deny the only means of restoration with God.

The world has many different ways of confusing the issue. The term “all paths lead to God” may sound good, but it isn’t a very well-thought-out sentiment. Religions, by their very definition, are contradictory to other religions. It would be a ridiculously inept Creator who would send His Son to the cross to die for the sins of the world, but who would then accept people into His list of saved people who denied the very thing He had done.

Maligning Jesus, spitting on His cross, etc., are the same as spitting on God who sent His Son to die. Use wisdom as you hear people’s ideas about God, heaven, restoration, etc. It is so easy to be misled by catchphrases, fine-sounding arguments, and appeals to emotion. But such things normally have nothing to do with the reality of what God has done.

Lord God, help us not to be a hindrance to others as they seek the truth of the gospel. Unlike Peter in his admonishment of Jesus, we need to stop and consider things carefully, and then present them in a manner that will glorify You through right instruction concerning Jesus and His complete work. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Sunday, 8 February 2026

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Matthew 16:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Peter, having clutched Him, he began to admonish Him, saying, ‘Propitious, to You, Lord! No, not it will be, this to You!’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples about the trials ahead for Him in Jerusalem, including being killed. He also told them about the resurrection on the third day. Peter, who had just stepped forward and proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, now has something to say about Jesus’ words. Matthew notes, “And Peter, having clutched Him, he began to admonish Him.”

A new word is seen, proslambanó, to take aside. It is from pros, signifying motion toward something, and lambanó, to take. In this case, the word pros is used to indicate interacting with, and so it means to “aggressively receive, with strong personal interest” (HELPS Word Studies). A suitable single word that can be taken both literally and figuratively would be clutch.

Peter either actually or figuratively clutched on to Jesus because of His words and began to admonish Him over His words, “saying, ‘Propitious, to You, Lord!’”

Another new word, the adjective hileós, is used. It signifies “propitious.” In Attic Greek, it was used to indicate appeasing divine wrath. It is related to the Greek word hilastérion used in Romans 3:25 and Hebrews 9:5 to indicate the mercy seat of the Ark, which prefigured Christ as our propitiation before God.

Peter’s use of it here is idiomatic. He is essentially saying, “For heaven’s sake!” or “God forbid!” In such an exclamation, it then indirectly signifies, “May God be propitious to you.” However, behind Peter’s intent is, “No way, Jose!” Thus, “God forbid” is a good paraphrase. Having said that, he continues with an emphatic “No, not it will be, this to You!”

The double negative adds heavily to the negative intent of the idiomatic expression. Peter is adamant that Jesus is not going to suffer. And whatever Jesus meant by “be killed” is not going to happen.

As is common with Peter, he has failed to stop and think his words through. Even without understanding that Jesus is God, he is admonishing his Lord, Teacher, and Guide. This is something that is wholly inappropriate for a person in his position. He also acted without further questioning, such as, “What do you mean by…”

But if he had stopped and evaluated Jesus’ words before blurting out his admonishment, the most obvious question of all would be, “What do you mean by, ‘and the third day be roused.’” Whatever Jesus meant by “be killed,” that topic is then qualified by the words “be roused.”

Not having a clue about what Jesus was saying, he should have stopped, formed a question, and then asked in a respectable manner. It may be that his zeal is appropriate, but his approach with that zeal is unacceptable.

Life application: In Galatians 4:17, Paul says, while speaking of Judaizers, “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” There are times when having zeal is good. This is especially so when it is in the service of God, honoring our duties as citizens of our nation, or for the benefit of family, friends, the downtrodden, etc.

However, if we don’t put curbs on our zeal, we can fall into the same personal trap Peter did. Our good intentions will turn out to be inappropriate because we didn’t consider all the facts. Likewise, if our zeal is misdirected to start with, like the Judaizers in Galatia, we err in whatever we are doing. Peter found this out when he fell into their trap.

If our misdirected zeal is doctrinal in nature, we are working against what God has ordained. That is why when people shoot off their mouths about doctrinal matters without properly understanding what the Bible says about them, they cannot be pleasing to God.

A simple example is the rapture. We have to determine one of two things first. Does the Bible teach there will be a rapture or not? The answer to that needs to be fully understood before talking about the matter in an instructive manner. Only one answer will be correct. The other will be a false teaching.

The next question would be, does the Bible teach about the general timeframe concerning when it will happen? This would mean pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, post-trib, etc. Only one answer can be correct. The other answers will be contrary to what God expects of us in our instruction.

The next question might be, “Am I maintaining the proper context for my conclusions?” In other words, a person may be using Jesus’ words from Matthew XX to support his rapture conclusions. Is that appropriate, or is it out of the context of what Jesus taught?

Next, a good question is, “Now that the general timeframe of the rapture has been rightly understood, can I pinpoint the precise timing of it, or is that going to be unknown to us until it happens?”

The Bible does tell us. So if we take a contrary position, we are harming, not helping, with proper instruction on this matter. Our conclusions are false, and thus we are teaching falsely. Those who teach falsely have become false teachers. And what does the Bible say about such people?

These are only a few of the many parameters to be understood about a single lesser doctrine that is found in Scripture. How much more should we be prepared before speaking about the more important doctrines that can lead people to a complete misunderstanding about who God is, how to be saved, etc.?

No wonder James says that not many should become teachers. Unless we are willing to do the hard work to rightly understand and teach what the word of God says, we will be more stringently judged for our words. Read the Bible! Study to show yourself approved!

Lord God, You are wonderful, forgiving of our transgressions because of Jesus. But we still must consider that You are holy and Your word is sacred. May we never attempt to run ahead without thinking things through carefully. We do not want to do Satan’s bidding while intending to honor You. Give us wisdom in this, O God. Amen.

Saturday, 7 February 2026

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Matthew 16:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“From then He began, Jesus, to show His disciples that it necessitates Him to depart to Jerusalem and to suffer many from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be roused” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew said that Jesus enjoined the disciples that they should tell no one He was the Christ. Matthew continues with, “From then He began, Jesus…”

Some manuscripts add the word “Christ” after Jesus. This seems forced and unnatural, but it is included because of the proclamation that was just made. If it said, “Jesus the Christ,” it would seem more natural. It would also be a suitable contrast for what will be said in the next verse by Peter. But almost all translations, despite using that text for their work, omit the word.

There is an obvious change in the tone of the words. “From then” and “began” signify that something new is introduced and ongoing henceforth. A point in the ministry had been reached that necessitated this new direction. Understanding this, Matthew continues with “to show His disciples that it necessitates.”

A new word, dei, what must happen, is introduced. It is a form of deó, to bind. Thus, there is a binding effect on the matter that cannot be avoided. In this case, because it is a matter of Jesus’ destiny as the Messiah, it will be necessitated as part of fulfilling His divinely set purpose for coming.  Specifically, it was first for “Him to depart to Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem is the place appointed for the events He necessarily needed to go through or accomplish to occur. If one has read the Bible through several times, a short exchange that realizes this thought, and which gives a sense of foreboding, is –

“On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, ‘Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.’
³² And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” ³³ Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.’” Luke 13:31-33

Matthew next records, “and to suffer many.”

Another new word is seen, paschó, to feel heavy emotion, especially suffering. Thayer’s says, “the feeling of the mind, emotion, passion.” This is an alternate form of pathos, the etymological root of our modern word pathos, a word that gives the sense of suffering, experience, and/or strong emotion. Matthew next notes this would be “from the elders and chief priests and scribes.”

To this point, Jesus has been somewhat hounded by these people as they verbally challenged Him. Matthew 12:14 even indicated the thought that they went out and plotted against Him about how they might destroy Him.

Despite this, there has not been any physical attack against Him at this point. Things were to change, however, when He and the disciples began to minister in Jerusalem. Matthew continues to note what Jesus said, “and be killed.”

The word “killed” is plain enough. It is the Greek word apokteinó, first used in Matthew 10:28. It is an intensified form of kteino, to kill. Because of Jesus’ use of this word, one would think the apostles would have understood His death as being a part of what should be expected, because it was told them far in advance.

Peter’s words in the next verse point to his dissatisfaction with what Jesus says. But it includes more than just killing, meaning the suffering of many things. Therefore, it could be that they thought Jesus was speaking in hyperbole or metaphorically. The word is used this way two other times –

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed [apokteinó] me.” Romans 7:11

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death [apokteinó] the enmity.” Ephesians 2:14-16

As such, Matthew’s next words, though understood by us because we know the outcome of the story, may also have been completely misunderstood by the disciples. He records, “and the third day be roused.”

The word signifies to awaken or rouse. Strong’s says, “literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence.” With such a broad use of meanings, the confusion of the disciples is completely understandable. Of Jesus’ words here, Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“This first announcement mentions his passion and death generally; the second (Matthew 17:22, Matthew 17:23), adds his betrayal into the hands of sinners; the third (Matthew 20:17-19), at length expresses his stripes, cross, etc.”

Life application: Jesus has acknowledged that He is the Messiah. He has noted that the basis of Peter’s proclamation, meaning that He is the Christ, would be that upon which He would build His out-calling. As such, it is completely understandable that the disciples would think His words were not really literal. How could someone who was dead do any building of a group of people?

It is easy for us to think of how dull they were, but we hear things like this all the time and don’t take them seriously. A football team may be on its way to an important game without three key members. They got thrown into jail for partying too much and have left the team vulnerable.

The head coach attends a press conference where he says that all will be great. They are the “Messiahs of madness” and would prevail. And yet, in the next two minutes, not knowing his mic is still on, he says to his offensive coordinator, “We are going to get killed down there.” It becomes a sensational story. And more, the Chiefs got totally slaughtered by the Eagles.

Nobody took them at their word, and other than getting proverbially slaughtered, all the players returned home. In tears, yes, but still very much alive.

Be sure to give an ounce of grace to the disciples. We were not there and cannot know all that was on their minds as the days of the life of Jesus and His ministry continued to unfold before their eyes.

Lord God, help us to have a clear perspective of what is going on in Your word. There are things that seem so obvious, and yet, we cannot grasp why they occur. In such instances, give us the wisdom to think through what is said and try to understand it from other perspectives so that we can come to the right conclusion about it. Thank You for being with us in our study of Your superior word. Amen.

Friday, 6 February 2026

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. Matthew 16:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then He enjoined His disciples that they should say to none that He, He is Jesus the Christ” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus explained to Peter what it meant to possess the keys of the kingdom of the heavens. Next, Matthew records, “Then He enjoined His disciples.”

A new word is seen, diastelló, to enjoin. It is from dia, through, and stelló, to set fast. Thus, the sense is to thoroughly set firmly. To enjoin, in a legal sense, means to prohibit someone from performing by issuing an injunction. This is just what Jesus is doing here. He is thoroughly ensuring “that they should say to none that He, He is Jesus the Christ.”

The emphasis is on Jesus. People have been hailed as the Messiah in Israel many times. This was probably true at Jesus’ time as well. However, Jesus did not want this to be revealed at the time because it would distract from His ability to complete His ministry. If people wanted to suppose He was the Christ based on what He did, that was their choice.

Likewise, to proclaim Him the Christ without a full revelation of what that meant could be injurious to the very meaning of the word. Christ Jesus had to suffer and die as God’s Messiah. To proclaim Him the Messiah before that occurred would lead to a great deal of confusion among the people when He was crucified.

However, afterward, that could become a part of the full confession of what it meant to be the Messiah. And this is exactly what Peter explained to the people in Acts 2 –

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’
³⁶ ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’” Acts 2:29-36

Proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah before the work of the Messiah was complete would be putting the cart before the horse. However, noting after the resurrection that Scripture actually taught that the Messiah would suffer, die, and yet not see corruption due to the resurrection, would allow the true meaning of what it meant to be the Christ to be fully expressed.

Life application: Quite often, we withhold information from others to avoid having setbacks in the process of completing whatever necessary things must be done. For someone to go ahead and pronounce a matter before the proper time will only cause problems.

Something as simple as someone having access to a company speech before it is given, maybe for editing or uploading to a website, and then revealing its contents before it is released, may cause harm. Maybe the person has last-minute changes that need to be worked into it. It may be that he is going to appeal to a certain person or group and wants his words to be carefully spoken when the speech is given.

To reveal the content in advance may harm such things. It is the CEO’s sermon to give. Revealing it without his permission is thus inappropriate. This is true with company board meetings, military engagements, etc.

If the president is going to attack another nation, say a nation called Aleuzenev, and the Congress were to find out about it in advance, it is certain that those in the opposing party, like the Marxist Representative COA from New York, would leak the details in an attempt to harm the military operation.

Such examples show us that it is important to keep what we know about unrevealed things to ourselves. When the time is appropriate, the information will get out as it should. There is nothing to be gained from being the first to reveal what should not be revealed.

God has a plan and a set timeline for His redemptive process to be complete. If He were to give the timing of the rapture in advance, for example, instead of getting out and telling others about Jesus, people would sit around doing nothing until that day. It would be harmful and unproductive. Wait, maybe that is not the best example. People do sit around all day doing nothing but speculating about the rapture. See! We need to focus on our duties, not on what others are doing. In the case of the rapture, let God accomplish His plan as He sees fit.

Lord God, help us not to be busybodies by sharing things without restraint. Rather, may we be the type of people who can be trusted with quietly and diligently doing our part as we await Your plan to unfold. The rapture will happen exactly when it should. Until that day, we have work to do. May we do it to Your glory. Amen.