The Upper Room

“With the plot to kill Jesus taking its final form, and with the clamor for his life reaching a crescendo, an upper room in Jerusalem becomes the calm at the center of the storm.  Here Jesus and his chosen disciples withdraw to themselves to await participation in the Passover Festival.  Taking on the role of a servant, Jesus begins to wash the feet of his disciples in order to teach them the need, not for power and position, but for humility and service to others.

As the upper room progresses, Jesus takes the bread and wine and tells his disciples to partake of them as symbols of his body and blood, thereby instituting his special memorial and covenant with all his disciples.  Then, as if to prepare for the sealing of that covenant, Jesus reveals Judas as his betrayer and sends him out to complete the betrayal, now near at hand.

What follows is a call for mutual love, not only because of the petty rivalries which continue to divide the disciples, but also because Jesus knows they will need each other’s support in order to endure the challenges soon to come their way.” 

Read:  Luke 22:14-39, Matthew 26:20-35, Mark 14:17-31, John 13, John 14

All quotations taken from The Daily Bible.