Upper Room

Thursday, March 28 | by Dr. Brent Thomason

A Note About the Video

Video Transcript:

We are on location here at the Upper Room, where church history has believed John Mark's home was and where Jesus dined with his apostles for the very last time. In this particular room, there would've been a long rectangular table sitting very low to the ground. Carpets would've been laid out on the ground with cushions lining the table. Jesus and His disciples would've leaned into the table on their left elbow and dined with their right hand. 

On this particular night, naturally, because Jesus is the host and the leader of the dinner, He would've sat towards the head of the table. From the Biblical account, we know where some of the disciples would've sat. For instance, we know very likely Peter sat next to John, and John sat right next to Jesus. And in close proximity to Jesus, perhaps right even on the other side, was Judas. 

The biblical account tells us that at some point in time in the dinner, Jesus paused and explained that one of them would betray him. At that time, Peter leans onto John and inquires of John, "Hey, ask Jesus who it means," at which time John then leans onto the bosom of Jesus and asks him, at which time Jesus takes a piece of bread, dips the morsel, and hands it to Judas, likely in close proximity of Jesus, if not right beside him. At that point in time, Judas exits the Last Supper scene, and it's only the disciples, the 11, who were with Jesus for the remainder of the meal. 

Now, on that particular night, when they entered into that upper room to hold that last supper, normally, the host would've had his servant wash the feet of all the guests. But on this particular night, because Jesus is the host and the leader of the dinner, there was no servant. So no one had their feet washed. 

At that point in time, Jesus will stand up, He will walk over, He will find a basin of water,  He will dawn a towel around His waist, and one by one He will go and wash the feet of the disciples. You see in that moment, the leader of the meal becomes the servant of them all, washing their feet and giving them an example to them and for us of what we should do with one another. 

In the course of that Passover meal, the Jews would've shared the story of the Great Exodus from Egypt when God miraculously delivered them out of captivity. 

This would've been a common meal that they would've journeyed up to Jerusalem to celebrate once per year, the Passover meal. And at some point in time in that meal, Jesus takes bread and He breaks it. That would not have been abnormal, but what would have been abnormal was when Jesus said, "This is my body, which is broken for you." 

Again, he takes a cup; they would've shared many cups and communal drinks around the table all through the evening. But on this night, he infuses that cup with symbolic meaning, saying, this is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. 

By partaking in that bread and cup, the disciples are associating with Jesus, and soon they will be appropriating the work of Christ on the cross, to their own souls for salvation, for their sin. They're identifying as one of Jesus's followers. So that's the event taking place this very night in this room, the upper room. 

But I want us to take a few moments and look at the event that night really through the lenses of the disciples as Jesus told them that He was going to die, and that this cup represented his blood, which would be shed for them. How did they respond? 

We'll take Peter, for example. Peter calls Jesus a liar. He's in denial, saying, "Lord, I'll never let you go to the cross, and even if others fall away, I will never deny you."  

Thomas is confused. Jesus says that He's going away to prepare a place, and Thomas wonders," Where, Lord, are you going, and why can't I go with you?"  

John himself is curious. He wants to know exactly who will the betrayer be.   

Other apostles then gather around Jesus and they really want to know the timeline. "Lord, when are you returning?" And finally, after they realize that Jesus is talking about the kingdom that He will bring back and fully inaugurate at His second coming, they argue over who will be the greatest in that kingdom. 

You see, on that night, there were so many different responses to the cross: denial, confusion, curiosity, and selfishness when Jesus was about to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

I wonder about us: what is our response when we consider the coming cross, which is tomorrow in the passion week? How do you identify with the words of the disciples that night? 

Perhaps you actually identify with one of them. You've asked some similar questions or even have something comparable to what they've asked.

I also wonder how we react when Jesus says, "You need to deny your self. Take up your cross, and follow me." How do you respond to the fact that we also will take up our own crosses? 

The only one who got it right that night was Jesus, who said, "Not my will, but thine, be done." 

So as you consider the Upper Room on this Thursday evening, and you consider the mission and the cross of Christ, will you likewise say, not my will but thine be done? 

Dr. Brent Thomason serves as Dean for the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University.