Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” Matthew 26:38

This snippet continues a series based on five instructions our Lord gave on the eve of His crucifixion. Before continuing, please read Matthew 26:36-46 and 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 as these scriptures form the basis of the thoughts expressed.

On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus said to Peter, James and John:

“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; REMAIN HERE, and WATCH WITH ME.” Mat 26:38

When we consider how our Lord died, the sorrow he must have felt is too terrible for any human to understand. Yet, His love and care for those around Him never diminished. Knowing he was about to be betrayed, He took three disciples aside and instructed them to ‘REMAIN’ and ‘WATCH’.

I believe God recorded this intimate scene to show us His love is beyond human comprehension. It is not influenced by prevailing circumstances (no matter how awful they are), nor will it ever wane.  Further, He wants us to cherish and take on His instruction to ‘remain’ and ‘watch’.

The scriptures make it clear; we are to ‘REMAIN’ in the place God has designated until He tells us otherwise. He has fully equipped us (1 Cor 1:4-8) with everything we need to do it successfully, including:

• Enriching us in Christ Jesus in all speech and all knowledge
• Confirming us in Christ Jesus
• Fully equipping us – not lacking in any gift
• Enabling us to wait in full confidence that our Lord Jesus Christ will reveal Himself
• Sustaining us to the end, knowing we will be presented guiltless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1:22).

God confirms each of these blessings declaring He is “faithful” and has “called [us] into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Cor 1:9)”

Remembering He is faithful gives us the confidence to ‘REMAIN’ – that is stay where we are, knowing there is no better place to be until He calls us to be elsewhere. By being in “the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” we can ‘WATCH’ with Him. It enables us to have the mind of Christ dwell in us (Php 2:5) and reassures us that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).