The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-04-26
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

meeting places in the whole earth.
Tradition has 1t that this Is the same
supper room" which was owned by one
friendly to our Lord and his disciples
and who granted 1t as their meeting
place on several occasions most inti-
mately associated with the Inaugural
ton of Christianity. Tradition also
has 1t that this Is the room mentioned
by st. Mark in our text, where the
disciples with the Lord partook of
the last Jewish Passover Supper, after
which Jesus instituted the Eucharist
or Lords Supper as an antitypical me-
mortal, taking the place of the Pass
over to all who accept Jesus as the
Passover Lamb-"The Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin Of the
world" John /, 29); "Christ our Pass
over is slain, therefore let us keep the
feast" Il Corinthians v, Z, 81.
Tradition assures us that this Is the
same room mentioned in the Book Of
Acts Il, 49, as the place where the
Apostles resided and assembled for
worship during the ten days following
the Lords ascension-the same upper
room," therefore, In which was mani
tested the acceptance of all the con-
secrated followers of Jesus into Cove
nant relationship with God as "mem-
bers of the Body of Christ, which Is
the Church" or course, our permis-
sion to use this room for public serv-
fee today was obtained only by pre-
arrangement with those having it In
charge. True. traditions are not al
ways reliable. Surely, In almost every
other part of the world 1t would be
absurd to think Of the preservation Of
the identity of house like this for
more than eighteen centuries. But
here we have most peculiar condi-
tons. The inhabitants of this land
seem to have been content to leave
things just as they found them from
generation to generation. merely max.
ing such slight repairs as were from
time to time found necessary. Here
visitors come, look and depart. filed
with sacred awe, and have done SO
for centuries, and the inhabitants,
each intent upon his own business.
have ignored this In manner hardly
Imaginable by Europeans. 1t is possi-
BILE therefore that tradition In this case
and In other instances hereabouts. has
located correctly, just as in Rome the
prison In which Paul was confined Is
indicated b. tradition with apparent
accuracy.
Christ Our Passover.
We are favored not only in respect
to the use of the room. but additional
ly In respect to the time of our visit
and our use of it. This, according to
Jewish reckoning, is the first day of
Passover Week-it began last evening
at 6 o'clock. The three hours preced-
ing that marked the time of our Lords
death and the begging by Joseph of
Arimathea for the privilege of bury
+ ing his body in his new tomb and the
hasty taking Of our Lord from the
cross and getting him only partially
embalmed and the tomb closed and
sealed before 9 o'clock-this day be-
ginning at g o'clock being amongst
the Jews. as the Apostle declared, an
"high day" a Sabbath day of special
sacredness as the beginning Of the
Passover FeastWeek.
AS we look back to that memorable
occasion we can sympathize with the
Apostles and early believers in the
blightiGg of all of their hopes by the
apparent failure of Jesus to make good
his claim of Messlahship. We can i'm
agine better than we can describe their
detection, their disappointment. Or
the next day, corresponding to to-mor
the way to Emmaus said sadly. eve
had trusted that it had been he who
should have redeemed Israeli duke
xiv, 21).
They had hoped that his miracles
corroborating his teaching, when he
"spake as never man spake," were
evidences that he was the Mes
oiah. They had built their hopes, as
Jews that now finally Gods promises
to their nation would be fulfilled-that
Israel should be exalted in the earth
In name and fame and power AND au
thority to blesJ and to instruct "all the
families of the earth" They had
hoped that Messiah would be the great
King under whose bene6cent reign, as
the great Mediator between God and
men. the long-promised blessing would
come to the earth. They had hoped
also for a personal share with him In
the glories of his Kingdom, according
to his own words--"Ye shall sit with