The Upper Room

Intro:

We continue our walk toward the Resurrection by joining Christ on the cross. We spend every Easter looking up to the cross but rarely do we take the time to consider what Christ saw and felt as he hung there.

We are beginning to see a reoccurring theme of not only sorrow on the cross but also feelings of Joy, happiness, and expectation. Last week we looked at the Temple, Jesus’ Father’s house. We were challenged to see what Jesus saw, the past glory of the temple, the heart break of its destruction, the joy of knowing the new house of the Lord would be HIS people as the HOLY SPIRIT lived inside of them.

This week we continue to join in Christs gaze from the cross, as we turn our eyes to the upper room.

Teach:

The Cenacle: The gathering place of the 12

The upper room, referred to both the place where the last supper took place, and where the Holy Spirt came upon the first Christians. Could this be the same place?

The Upper room is usually the BEST room in the house, reserved for guests.

In greek it is called “kataluma” or upper room specifically, “Anagaion”. Later at pentecost its called another greek name “huperoion” meaning the same upper room.

It often has access to the ground level outside of the house so people don’t have to walk through the service area or bedrooms on the first floor.

The room was directly south of calvary, a half mile to the right of where jesus now observes his surroundings.

Some wonder why not go to Lazarus’, it was Jesus home away from home? The passover meal had to be eaten in the city.

Days before

Jesus has just met in this room days before his nailing to his observation post.

He had it divinely appointed.

Jesus sends out two disciples to find a man carrying water. They were to ask one question from Jesus, “Where is the room that I might eat the passover with my disciples?” -Luke 22:10-11

Luke 22:10–11 CSB

“Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’

We don’t know if Jesus knew this man? Or if he recieved the message before hand from the Lord, but he knew what they were talking about.

The Bread and Wine

The most important meal to the Christian takes place here.

“With Desire I have desired to eat this passover with you, before I suffer.” - Luke 22:15

Luke 22:15 CSB

Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

This will be the LAST passover meal he eats with his friends, and the LAST legitimate passover for the Jewish people. His death and resurrection will be the fulfilment of the need for a passover.

The man from “Bethlehem” which means house of bread, constructs a brand new “house of bread” with his body here in the last supper.

This is “my body” broken for you. His body become the place in which we take shelter for our sins.

In the early days of the passover meal they had to eat it standing and hurriedly, to represent the fashion in which it had to be eaten in escape from Egypt, but in Jesus day, the rabbis allowed it to be eaten in the more common relaxed fashion. Even slaves are permitted to eat this meal in the relaxed position (usually forbidden to them) to represent everyones freedom.

The paschal supper can begin any time after the appearance of the first three stars, but often starts later, when its fully dark.

They will have sacrificed a one year old lamb without a blemish and cooked it according to the Mishnah.

While the lamb is eaten the head of the family explains the meaning of the meal

The lamb, redemption and salvation of Israel from the Angel of Death.

Cooked fruit in redish sauce, the mortar during the days of labor in Egypt.

Bitter herbs, the anguish of those days.

Unleavened bread (Azyme), the haste in which they had to flee the land.

I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t abolish the passover meal, but celebrates it alongside his disciples. Then institutes his bread and wine in the midst of the meal.

He didn’t come to abolish the faith of his people, but to finalize it.

If I don’t wash you, you can have no part in me.

In one of the most humbling moment, Jesus lays himself bare, the most vulnerable positions and washes the dirtiest part of his followers body, their feet.

Can you imagine, all of the world has collected on their feet. The muck, the dirt, the excrement both human and animal.

I can understand Peters reply, “No! I should be washing your feet!”

Similar to John the baptist reply, “NO! You should be baptising me!”. Jesus defies our expectations.

Then Jesus insists in John 13:8 ““You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.””

Peter then, being Peter, says, then wash ALL OF ME!

The Body and the Blood

Jesus prepares his disciples for his death with the communion they share, but he says, “This is my body, broken for you”, “My blood shed for you.” It has already happened in his mind and heart.

Hanging on the cross, Jesus is fulfilling in our time, what has already been done in his heart. His body broken, his blood poured out.

The Jewish Passover, The Eucharistic Passover, The Heavenly Passover.

Jesus has been viewing this entire event with the ability to hover between the past, present and future. Where everything he has spoken and done means something to the past struggles of the Israelites, the current work of the disciples alongside of Jesus, and when he returns once and for all.

Preach:

A common room, a sacred place.

The upper room, a sacred place. The mundane turned holy.

A banquet hall, turned gathering place to mourn, became a place of abounding joy at the news of Christs resurrection, a place where Thomas encounters the true God.

In the same way you and I, common everyday people, become sacred and wonderful when that amazing man, Jesus Christ becomes part of our story.

Miraculous Regeneration awaits in Divine simplicity

Christ comes not in the fine things of this world, but in that which man sees as low. A lowly stable, a humble family, a blue collar job, a basic upper room. That became the center of all that happened in Christs new church.

Jesus, wash my feet.

So many things happen in that upper room of eternal significance, and theres one we often pass over. The same way Peter did.

John 13:8 CSB

“You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

Jesus washes the feet of those who are going to change the world with the GOOD NEWS empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT.

They will be walking in the dirt, the muck, the grime. It all adds up, and MUST be washed off.

I wonder though if we have been running for Jesus so long, we have forgotten, or refused to let him wash us?

Apply:

Make the mundane, miraculous.

In the hustle of work, stop and look around at your co-workers, are any of them struggling, could you help them? Maybe that seemingly boring interaction spark a spiritual conversation.

Engage in kindness with strangers this week at the grocery store or the gas pump.

Set up a way your spouse and kids or grandkids could write out “god moments” this week in your house. Stick them on the refrigerator.

This week, miraculously convert the mundane into holy moments.