Watching in The New Year

            Although I do not hear it much anymore, “watch” once was a common vocabulary word among believers. Some churches called their prayer meeting “watch hour.” And “watch nights” were common. Today, “Watch night” refers mainly to the New Year's Eve services we hold. But “watch” is a Bible word. Actually, several words are translated “watch” in the New Testament, each having a little different color and tone.

Grēgoreuō is the word most frequently used for “watch” in the New Testament. This word means to keep awake, be vigilant. The root of this word means to waken, rouse (from sleep, sitting or lying, from disease, from death, from obscurity, inactivity, etc.) and is the common word used for Christ (and us) being raised from the dead. Our word has a prefix (gre) that is a repetition of the first consonants of the root. This pattern, called reduplication, has the effect of indicating the lasting results of a completed action. With all of this in mind, our word for “watch” indicates a continued alertness and attention.

            Jesus told his disciples to, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come,” (Matt 24:42). While in the garden of Gethsemane, He woke from sleep the inner circle, Peter, James and John. He sorrowfully spoke to them saying, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I fear that many of us are even less diligent in careful watching and prayer than were those sleepy disciples!

            Although watching and praying go together, they are not the same. Watching precedes prayer and should lead to prayer. We are to be alert and pay attention to the Lord's coming (Matt. 24:42; 1 Thess. 5:6), prayer (Mark 14:38; Col. 4:2), temptation (Matt. 26:41), firmness in the faith (1 Cor. 16:13), and our enemy, the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).

            Watching also has the idea of sacrifice and inconvenience. The word agrupneō is translated “watch” or “watching” four times. It simply means to be without sleep, or sleepless. It comes from the word “to sleep” preceded by the negative a. Three times the word is used along with prayer (Mark 13:33, Luke 21:36, Eph. 6:18). How often do we go without sleep so we can pray? More likely, we sleep rather than pray, or fall asleep while we pray. We will go without sleep for many reasons that are undeserving. I suspect our relegating prayer to a minor place has robbed us of much power and many blessings. May God give us the spirit of self sacrifice for spiritual good! The other time this word is used is in Hebrews 13:17. These spiritual leaders are “sleeplessly” watching over the souls of those under their charge, because they must give account to God. Here again is personal sacrifice for spiritual good.

            Another word, nēphō, is translated “watch” in 2 Timothy 4:5 and 1 Peter 4:7. It is used in four other verses and translated as “be sober.” The word literally means to be completely unaffected by intoxicants. Derived from that meaning is the figurative meaning of being “sober minded,” that is, of a clear, sound mind. This is the way it is used in the New Testament.

            Paul's instruction to Timothy challenged him to have sound judgement, or to watch, in all things. It was especially important to give service to Christ its proper worth. Otherwise, he would not be able to endure the afflictions he faced and he would not do the work the Lord had given him. It takes clear thinking to see past our immediate troubles, and to go on in spite of them. Peter challenges us to live with a clear mind because of eternity. He says, “the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

            Watching involves being free of fuzzy thinking because of the coming of Christ (1 Thess 5:6,8; 1 Pet. 1:13), because service to Christ outweighs our troubles ( 1 Pet 4:7), and because we have an enemy who seeks to destroy us (1 Pet. 5:8).

            Life is short. There is no room for frivolity and carelessness. That is not to say we cannot be lighthearted, but we must “pay attention” to life. There is much to gain, and much to lose. To gain the most, we may need to suffer inconvenience and make sacrifices. We must have clear thinking to keep the greatest values in sight. All of this is what it is to “watch.” Watching will keep us in prayer, and help us to turn from temptation. Watching will give us firmness in the faith, helping us to endure affliction for Christ's sake. Watching will keep us aware of our enemy, the devil. Above all, watching will keep us alert to the Lord's coming, and help us to live in light of His return.