THE UPPER ROOM

Sermon of the Week #200545 – November 13, 2005

In the Book of Mark fourteen, verse fifteen it is written, “And he will himself show you a large upper room furnished, and ready: and there make ready for us.”

Now remember in preparation for the observance of the last Passover Feast Jesus sent Peter and John saying, “Go into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him; and wheresoever he shall enter in, say to the master of the house, The Master saith, Where is My guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples?”

When Jesus was born there was no room for Him in the inn. Jesus was willing to be born without a room, but He would not go to the cross without a room to institute the Lord’s Supper; a room where we are constantly reminded of that day when Jesus died for our sins that we might live forever. In like manner, as Christians, we need to make room at all times on the first day of the week for the observance of this Feast. And remember, “There is room at the cross for you-There is room at the cross for you-Though millions have come there is still room for one-There is room at the cross for you.”

Peter and John went to find that room. They went as they were told and they saw a man bearing a pitcher of water; they followed him according to instructions, and went into the house where the man with the pitcher went and said to the owner of the house, “The Master wants to know where is His guest chamber where He shall eat the Passover with His disciples?”

At this point if Peter and John had been like us they would have said, “How about that? We followed the man with the pitcher to the right house and just like Jesus said we found the guest room furnished and waiting for us.”

Actually that should have been no big surprise; things always turn out just like Jesus says. They found the large upper room furnished. As we notice the events that occurred in the upper room in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts, there are a lot of things furnished in the upper room besides the utensils used in the Passover Feast. First, look at Matthew, Mark and Luke.

MATTHEW MARK LUKE

After the observance of the Passover Feast the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper. Several sermon-topics are furnished by the Table. For one thing the Table protects the doctrine of the Church. When we eat the bread and drink the cup we remember that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and arose from the dead. If the preacher says that Jesus was only a good man and we are redeemed by living a good life and following His example, the Lord’s Table contradicts the preacher and tells the congregation; “This is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” The Table protects the doctrine of the atonement.

If the preacher tells the congregation, “The Lord is not coming again”, the Table contradicts the preacher and says, “We show forth His death until He comes.” The Table protects the doctrine of the Church.

Then again if the preacher tells the people, “There is no scripture that indicates the frequency of the Lord’s Supper, the message from the Table says in Acts twenty, “And upon the first day of the week we were gathered together to break bread.” The Table protects the doctrine of the Church.

The Table not only protects the doctrine of the Church, it emphasizes the doctrine of the Church. When we observe the Lord’s Supper Paul says, “We show forth His death until he comes.” If at the Table we show forth His death, to whom do we show that death? The Table shows forth His death to us. As we eat the bread and drink the cup we are reminded that Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins. Then again, we show forth His death to anyone in the audience who is not a Christian. We preach a sermon in action to the unsaved telling them that Jesus also gave His life for them. To show forth His death is to show it to the Heavenly Father. By this action we are telling God the Father that we appreciate the fact that He gave His only begotten Son. Then we also show forth His death to the Devil. The Devil is always present and by this ceremony the Devil is reminded of the promise of the Father, “The seed of the woman shall bruise His head and thou shalt bruise His heel.” The Table protects and emphasizes the doctrine of the Church.

If the sermon from the pulpit is contradicted by the sermon from the Table either throw out the preacher or throw out the Table.

That dreadful night before His death the Lamb for sinners slain-Did almost with His dying breath that solemn feast ordain-To keep that feast Lord we have met and to remember Thee- Help each redeemed one to repeat-For Me He died for me.

JOHN THIRTEEN

According to John thirteen before the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, thereby furnishing them and us a great sermon on humility. According to Luke they had contended with each other which one would be the greatest. So Jesus riseth from supper and layeth aside His garments. This is amazing, not that He laid aside His garments, but that He had already laid aside His glory and came down to earth. Paul reminds us that Jesus considered, “Not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but empties Himself taking upon Himself the form of a servant, made in the likeness of man, and made in fashion as a man He humbled Himself even unto death, yea the death of the cross.”

Then He took a towel and girded Himself. That also is amazing, not that He took a towel but, that when He came to earth He took a cross. Then another amazing thing is He poured water into a basin. But that is not so amazing as the fact that the next day He would pour out His blood for the sins of the world.

When He began to wash Peter’s feet, Peter said, “Lord Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus told him, if I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me. Peter said, well in that case don’t stop with my feet, wash my hands and my head. Jesus said He that is washed needeth not to wash save only his feet.”

What a sermon that furnishes to us, “If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.” That reminds us of what Paul said in First Corinthians when he spoke of the conversion of those Christians, “But ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.

He said also in Titus, “But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love toward men appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.

Then note also what Saul of Tarsus was told at the time of his conversion, he already believed and had repented and was told, “Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.” If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.

Then again in Revelation the first chapter, “Unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins and made us to be kings and priests unto His God and Father: unto Him be the glory and the dominion forever.” If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.

Then just one more; remember in Revelation seven there is that message of triumphant faith, “These are they who came out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me.

The gospel song sums it up, “Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power-Are you washed in the blood of he Lamb-Are you freely trusting in His grace this hour-Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” If I wash thee not thou has no part with Me.

There is yet another sermon furnished by the Table. There was one at the table that night that had no part with Jesus. Jesus became troubled in spirit and said, “One of you shall betray Me.” Luke records these sad words; “The hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the Table.” This was the final warning of Jesus to Judas to turn back from his plan of betrayal. What haunting words they were, “The hand that betrayeth Me is with Me on the Table.”

There is a debate as to whether Judas left between the Passover Feast and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Forget Judas and examine yourself, not Judas. It is true with us also. When you reach out to take the loaf; your hand is with Him on the Table. When you reach out and take the cup and drink the fruit of the vine your hand is with Him on the Table. At the end of the day you can reflect as you go to sleep, “My hand was with Him on the Table today.” On Monday and the rest of the week as you go about your job in the work-place, the home-place, the school-place or any place, remember, last Sunday your hand was with Him on the Table.

JOHN TWENTY

Then in John twenty there are two appearances the resurrected Christ made to the Apostles in the upper room. While it is not specifically stated that it was the upper room, it seems to be the logical choice. In the Lord’s appearance in the upper room the night of the betrayal, He had said to the Apostles, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you.” Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection in the upper room and the first thing He said to the apostles at that appearance was, “Peace be unto you.” However at that meeting Thomas was not with them. When the others saw Thomas they told him, “We have seen the Lord. Thomas told them, "Except I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side I will not believe.”

In this event we have a great sermon furnished to us on the being absent on the Lord’s Day. Suppose on that day when the ten were gathered together someone would have asked, “Where is Thomas? Did he have a heart attack?” One of the others said, “Oh no, he was feeling a little under the weather. He will be able to go to work tomorrow, but felt too bad to be in services.” Think of what Thomas missed! Jesus came!

Suppose again some one would have said, “Where is Thomas?” Someone says, “Oh, he intended to come, but this is the day when the Jerusalem Jelly fish play the Bethlehem Bulls and he just had to go to the game. He will be back next Sunday if there is no other game scheduled.” Think of what Thomas missed! Jesus came!

Then again suppose another would have asked, “Where is Thomas?” Oh, he said he did not want to have anything to do with a hypocrite like Peter. It was common knowledge that he cut a man’s ear off and then cussed and denied that he even knew anything about Jesus” Think of what Thomas missed! Jesus came!

Then think of all the people who have a Thomas-complex today when they miss the assembly on the first day of the week. What would it be like if they were absent on that day when it could be said, “Jesus came!”

ACTS

The upper Room also plays a big role in the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus had led the eleven Apostles to the Mount of Olives and after telling them that they would be endowed with power not many says hence, even as He spoke with them He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. While they stood around trying to catch a glimpse of Him two men in bright apparel stood by them and promised that He would come again in like manner as they had beheld Him going into Heaven. So, they returned to Jerusalem and went into the upper room and began to pray.

Prayer is mentioned more times in the Book of Acts than any other book in the Bible except the Book of Psalms. Jesus had said, “The power would come not many days hence.” Jesus had ascended into Heaven on Thursday, so they prayed the rest of that day; the next day was Friday and they prayed all day. The next day was Saturday and they thought, “This might be the day when we receive the power for this is the Sabbath Day.” The power did not come, so they prayed on. The next day was Sunday and they no doubt thought, “The power will come upon us today because the Lord made many of His appearances on Sunday; but nothing happened so they prayed on. They prayed Monday, Tuesday and on Wednesday they thought, “Surely the power will come today because this is the day when the Churches of Christ will have their midweek prayer meeting.” The power did not arrive and if it had, only two or three Apostles would have showed up. The next day was Thursday and thought, “Surely this will be the day when the power falls upon us because this is the anniversary of the first week the Lord had gone back to Heaven”, and still no power. Friday and Saturday came and then on the second Sunday it happened! For it is written, “And upon the first day of the week we were all together in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as the rushing of a mighty wind. The Holy Spirit fell upon the Apostles and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and all began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The power did not come from the East, North, West, or South. It came straight down from Heaven. The Church began on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, and the Church began after a ten-day open-end prayer meeting. The Church of the New Testament was a praying Church.

They prayed and kept on praying. They really did believe that, “God Is Just A Prayer Away”. When the Church fussed and griped over the negligence of some to provide meals-on-wheels for the old and infirm they ordained the first deacons with prayer and fasting.

When Peter first preached to the Gentiles, He was called on the carpet by the other Apostles and leaders. Peter answered them by telling them first of all that he was in the City of Joppa praying. He could have said he was in the City of Joppa raising the dead because that was the reason he was there; but he did not mention that, he said, “I was in the City of Joppa praying.”

When they were beaten by the authorities, they prayed. When in jail, Paul and Silas prayed in the dungeon. Prayer was made for Peter when he was in jail. When they sent out missionaries to preach on foreign fields, they did not send them out with a bean supper, they sent them out with prayer and fasting. When Stephen was stoned, he prayed; when they ate meals, they prayed. Even in the second chapter of Acts when the Church began, it is said, “They continued steadfastly in prayer.” Prayer was one of the major activities of the day. I have used this poem many times and it stresses the negligence of many and prayer:

The royal feast was done, the King sought some new sport to banish care- and to his jester cried, Sir fool kneel here and make for us a prayer-The jester doffed his cap and bells and stood the mocking court before-They did not see the bitter smile behind the painted grin he wore. He bowed his head and bent his knee upon his monarchs silken stool- His pleading voice arose Oh Lord, have mercy on me a fool-These clumsy feet still in the mire go crushing blossoms without end, these hard well meaning hands we thrust into the heart strings of a friend-Earth has no balsam for mistakes, men crown the knave and scourge the tool-that did His will, but thou Oh Lord be merciful to me a fool-The room was hushed in silence rose the King and sought his garden cool-He walked apart and murmured low, be merciful to me a fool.