What is the Upper Room Discourse?

Chapters 14 to 16 present the upper room discourse and that which was spoken when they were on the way to Gethsemane. The thirteenth and seventeenth chapter belong to it too, and these are very precious.

We cannot too often be reminded that in these chapters which record the Upper Room Discourse, especially in the prayer of chapter seventeen, we have the heart and centre of the work which the Son came to perform, the revelation of the Father. This is one of the great essential, if not the great essential doctrine of Christianity. It is worth while to quote lines written at the time when these revelations were being re-discovered, after ages of darkness. "Thus it was not until the present age that the full name and glory of our God was published. The Father had been working, it is true, in all ages of the Jewish times; but still Israel were put nationally under God simply as "Jehovah". The revelation of "the Father" had to wait for the ministry of the Son, and certain dispensations had to finish their course ere the Son could come forth … the Holy Ghost came forth, with His gifts and powers, to wait on the ministry of the Son … the Holy Ghost was now to dwell in the saints, telling them plainly of the Father … And this would give the Church her full form and standing, having thus communion and knowledge, through the Holy Ghost, with the Father and the Son … Now to draw the disciples out from a mere Jewish place into this elevation of the Church of God, and by this to comfort them under the sense of His absence, is the Lord's great purpose in the discourse which He holds with them in these chapters — the like to which never passed between the sons of men — the heart and mind of God had never before so largely and blessedly communicated their treasures to the desires and thoughts of His people, as now the Lord was doing. Most sacred moments indeed of communion between heaven and earth were these … It is of the love of the Father as of the glory of the Son, that the Comforter tells us by the way homeward. He is our companion for all the journey, and this is the theme of His discourse with us. How did the servant, I doubt not, as he accompanied Rebecca across the desert, tell her further of his master … And, beloved, were we more consciously "on the way" with the Comforter, the way would be to us in like manner thus beguiled by His many tales of love and glory, whispering of the Father and the Son to our inmost souls. Be it so with us, Thy poor people, blessed Lord, more and more!" (J.G.B. 1838)

We are brought now to consider the last hours of the Lord Jesus before the cross. No longer does He minister to the world, but to His own disciples, from chapter 13 through 16; and it is marvelous that He makes every spiritual provision for them before leaving them.

These two discourses are divided from those that follow by the words of the Lord, "Arise let us go hence" (John 14:31). With these words the Lord passes, with His disciples, from the upper room into the outer world. The discourses which follow wear a character in keeping with the place of their utterance; for now the disciples are viewed as in the world from which Christ has been rejected, bearing fruit to the Father and bearing witness to Christ. It has been truly said, "In the former, the keynote is consolation in view of departure; in the latter, it is instruction for the state which will ensue. There as well as here, the Speaker instructs; here, as well as there, He consoles."

On the night of His betrayal, He prepares His disciples for His departure by His marvellous ministry of John 13‑16. Judas has already gone out with the object of betraying Him (John 13:30). The Lord knows this, but does nothing in haste as though to get everything done before His arrest. Following the Passover feast, He takes time to introduce the Lord's supper, that wonderful new observance to be ever kept by His disciples in remembrance of Him[1] (Luke 22:19‑20).

The next part of the Lord's farewell address further prepares His disciples for the time of His absence. In chapter 13, He had assured them that, although He would leave them - as far as physical presence is concerned - and go to His Father, He would never cease to love them. In fact, He would always remain active on their behalf so that they could enjoy full communion with Him. Now, the Lord unveils further sources of comfort for the disciples who were going to be left behind:

Here, in these opening verses of the Upper Room Discourse, is the answer, so deeply comforting, so permanently satisfying: This God whose Name is the Father possesses a home. In that home there are many permanent dwelling-places. In these permanent dwelling-places there is a place for you. Where I am, there you will be.

But before that happy event there was something of profound importance to take place; and the words of their Master came afresh to their ears and to their memories. For He had bidden them to go into Jerusalem and to wait there for the promise of the Father, "which", said He, "you have heard of Me." Now they remembered what was said to them in the upper room after the institution of the Lord's Supper. The Lord had then made the astounding statement, "It is expedient for you that I go away"; and they needed some faith and enlightenment to understand how such a thing could be. "It is better for you that I go away, than that I should stay here. I go to prepare a place for you." This was blessed news to hear of a place for them in the Father's house, but in connection with the expediency, He said, "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come, the other Comforter. The One Who is coming will come to take My place, and He will be to you even more than I have been. He will dwell with you, not for three years, but will abide with you for ever. He will be with you, never to leave you. He will be with you in any place where you may be, no matter how widely separated on the face of the earth; and He, the Spirit of truth, will guide you into all truth."

The Lord Jesus, on the eve of His betrayal, told His beloved disciples that he would shortly be leaving them. As they had truly believed that He was the long-promised Christ, the Messiah, and that He was about to redeem Israel, they were greatly distressed, and sorrow filled their hearts. It seemed to them that all their hopes were to be brought to nothing. But He reassured them, saying that though they would see Him no more, He would not leave them orphans, for He would pray the Father, Who would give them another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who would abide with them for ever. This was an entirely new revelation. They knew from their Scriptures that in olden times the Spirit of God had come on men, and filled them, but only for a season; as David said in Psalm 51 "Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." Moreover the Lord assured them that it was expedient for them that He should go away, for that if He did not go away, the Comforter would not come to them; but that if He departed, He would send Him to them. [The word "Comforter" (Gr. Parakleetos) means one who carries on the cause of any one and helps him. If "solicitor" were not too common, it just answers the sense.] When this Spirit of Truth was come, He would guide them into all truth; He would glorify the Lord Jesus, and speak to them of Him, and remind them of all He had said to them. He would be a divine power working in them, and for that reason the Lord enjoined them not to leave Jerusalem till He had come to them. The Lord further told them that though He Himself was returning to the Father, He would come again, after He had prepared a place for them, and receive them to Himself, that they might be with Him, and that for ever! — Some fifty days after our blessed Lord had revealed all this to His disciples, the wonderful sacrifice on Calvary having taken place, followed by the triumphant resurrection, and the ascension, the amazing coming of that promised Holy Spirit of Truth took place, and the little waiting company of believers at Jerusalem was baptized with the Spirit. Since that day the building of the Church has been going on, and untold millions have been added to that wonderful structure. In the early days of the Church His personality, dignity, and power were well understood, but little by little the great truths about Him, so clearly put forth in the New Testament, have been almost entirely lost, or forgotten.

He would ask the Father, who would give them another Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would remain with them for ever: He would be in them. Furthermore, He would not leave them orphans, He would Himself come to them. The Comforter would teach them all things and bring to their remembrance what He had said to them. He left them peace, and gave them His own peace. If they loved Him they would rejoice that He was going to the Father. All this discourse, preparatory to His departure, was to fit the disciples to serve His interests when He should be gone from them.