The Lord's Upper Room Ministry

by J.M. Gault, Hayes, Kent | Category: The Days Of His Flesh | Aug 1974

In the hearts of Christians the events that took place and the words which were spoken in the Upper Room will always have a treasured place. It was in the Upper Room that the Lord instituted the Breaking of the Bread with all that it means to us. It was also the place where He washed the feet of His disciples, handed the sop to Judas, and spoke some of His most wonderful words.

Throughout His public ministry He had taught the multitudes, spoken to individuals and reasoned with groups of people, but it was in the seclusion of the Upper Room that He opened His heart to the privileged few. There was so little time left: His hour had come, and there was so much to say. The immortal words were spoken against a background of intrigue and suspicion. Sinister forces were at work and the events of the next few hours would have far-reaching effects on everyone there present, and countless others besides.

The City

Jerusalem was thronging with people who had come for the Passover. The city had its treasured memories for the Jews. For them it was the centre of their national life; the place of the Name; the City of David. The Temple was there in all its magnificence with its continual ritual, and its priesthood. The Jews believed that it was to Jerusalem their Messiah would come some great day, but in fact the Messiah was in their midst and they did not know it. He was not in the Temple with the crowd but rather He was in an upstairs room. He was speaking to a few Galilean fishermen and others who, although they were His disciples, did not really understand Him, but who for Him were nevertheless going out to turn the world upside down.

The Betrayal

All was not well with the disciples in the Upper Room; one of them was a traitor. The powers of darkness were at work against the Lord, and Satan himself was present. The Lord knew of this and it lay heavily on His spirit. The others were bewildered; events were perplexing them and they could not really grasp what was happening. The Master was saying He was going away and it seemed as though some great crisis was imminent.

Jesus told the traitor, "What thou doest, do quickly", and He allowed the grim events of the betrayal to take their course. He was not the victim of circumstances, rather was He Master of the situation, and throughout the whole drama He was serene and untroubled. He looked beyond the cross to the glory. He said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified" (John 13:31), and again to His Father, "glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5), and again, "that they may behold my glory" (John 17:24).

The Washing of the Feet

There had also been a contention among the disciples. They had been discussing precedence among themselves, and one of the great lessons which they had to learn was that rank and title had no place among them and that they had to be ready always to love and serve one another.

Jesus, knowing that He was their Lord and Master, laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel and washed their feet. That which they were not prepared to do for each other, the Lord, in the full consciousness of His Deity and destiny, and in infinite grace, did for them; and Judas was among them.

The Institution

That night they stood at the watershed of two dispensations. As Jews, the Passover recalled to their minds the birth of their nation, the bitter experience of Egypt and the mighty deliverance. The simple meal still had its meaning for them, but something more precious and more meaningful was about to be instituted. With bread and wine the Lord revealed to them that which only later they were to understand, "This is My body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me... This cup is the new covenant in My blood, even that which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19,20).

The true Paschal Lamb had come and the shadows of the past now had their Substance. Christ their Passover was about to be sacrificed for them and henceforth their remembrance was to be of Him.

The Ministry

Against the background of such events the Lord spoke to His disciples. His treasured utterances were tinged in turn with sadness and with joy, yet they were rich with profound truths.

Firstly, He reassured them, "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). They had need of comfort not only because of that which they had witnessed but also because of that which was yet to come. Then He went on to reveal some of His great purposes, with words which were so full of meaning.

He makes it plain to them: "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). He is thinking of them, and not of Himself. It is for them that

He is going away, and it is expedient for them that He does go away.

He will not leave them comfortless; the Holy Spirit will be with them,

in them, comforting, teaching and guiding. Also, it is for them that

He will come again "that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3).

How different it might have been. He could have been preoccupied with that which lay ahead of Him, or he could have been blinded to their needs by the glory that was soon to be His, but on the contrary His thoughts were for them.

"Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1), "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2), "I come again, and will receive you unto Myself" (John 14:3), "I will not leave you desolate" (John 14:18).

Human nature is such that in spite of these words of assurance and promise, the disciples still asked:

"How know we the way?" (John 14:5), "Shew us the Father" (John 14:8), "What is this that He saith?" (John 16:18).

"He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). They had lived with Him for more than three years, they had witnessed a life of surpassing beauty, of love, mercy and compassion, but they had failed to grasp fully who He was. He had to teach them, "I am in the Father, and the Father in Me" (John 14:11). He made it clear to them, "Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know Me? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). Here was the great revelation. God was in the world, living a human life, entering into every human experience, working as a man, eating, drinking, loving, yearning, suffering, dying.

Christ's mission to the world had not been self-appointed: He had come with a message from the Father. His words were the Father's words and His deeds were the Father's deeds.

This great truth of the Deity of Christ, more than any other, has been under constant attack by Satan, but as we listen to these words which He spoke to His disciples, all possible doubts are dispelled. Only by a denial of the statements He made can we question that He is other than the Son of God.

"Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15:4). He is leaving them behind for a purpose. They will witness for Him and will try to live among men as He would have lived. Their lives will be fruitful only while they remain in contact with Him. As vine branches draw their nourishment from the vine, and know the care of the husbandmen, so they too would be fruitful. "Apart from me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). All strength and power, and all knowledge would come from Him, and for His disciples His word was to be their commandment. Repeatedly He speaks about His commandments, the observance of which would be the hallmark of discipleship and all men would know that they were His disciples by their obedience to Him and their love to one another.

When he had finished speaking to the disciples the Lord then prayed to His Father. The disciples were privileged to listen while God the Son spoke to God the Father, and although the words were personal to the Deity, matters were revealed which were very precious. He spoke of eternal life, of the eternal security of believers, of sanctification, and of the unity of all believers in the Body of Christ. He prayed for them that they might be kept in the word of God, and, looking down the ages to generations which would follow them, He also prayed for all who will believe on Him through their word (John 17:20).

The last walk together

Never would the disciples forget the events of that night: the washing of their feet and the bitter memories of their pride, the treachery of Judas, and the searching of their hearts as they asked, "Lord, Is it I?" and the institution of the Remembrance with its simple symbolism; nor would they forget the words of love and kindness and the final prayer, which they had listened to but had barely understood.

The disciples followed their Master out into the darkened city which lay in the light of the full moon, arid made their way towards Gethsemane. Only the Master was aware of the dramatic events that would quickly develop, and little did those disciples realize that in the long centuries that lay ahead, countless other disciples of the same Master would go back in thought to that Upper Room, would recall all that happened there, and would think that those who had been there had indeed been privileged.

J.M. Gault, Hayes, Kent | Aug 1974
The Days Of His Flesh