Evening star., 1926-03-06

Disputing over personal precedence,
position and power Allied the apostles
with a spirit of jealousy. Rivalry for
pre-eminence among them had created
discord and division among the twelve
when they met to observe the passover
in the large upper room that an un-
known friend had furnished for their
use. Their failure to remember the
lessons concerning self-denial. sacri'
flee. and surrender must have been
felt by the Lord, who knew that his
own death was only day away. In
the privacy and protection of the Beth
any home Jesus had been given help
from above to meet the supreme crisis
Of history. He had completed His
public ministry. 1.-The time had come
for him to leave the world and to go
to the Father" During the remaining
hours of His life Christ sought TO pre-
pare those whom He loved for His
departure and for their task.
Facing the twelve with the joy of
returning to glory, the Savior's heart
was saddened by the attitude of the
disciples. John shows the depths of
His love for the twelve and for the
world that He loved unto the end in
this and the concluding chapters of
his gospel Looking back over the
years, he has given us a vision of the
heart of Jesus that proves His deity
and demonstrates his abiding affection
for His followers. who had failed to
conform their life to His teachings
and example. The atmosphere of the
upper room was charged by the selfish
differences that might develop into
more than y passing mood which was
disturbing their fellowship. He knew
that Peter would betrav Him. He
understood that Satan had filed the
heart of Judas with a deep-seated
spirit of alienation. There was still
an opportunity for him to repent.
Judas was given more than one chance
by the Lords grace of retreating from
| committing this overt act of disloy-
atty. 1t was a trying time for the
Master, who loved His own. even
| Judas, with His whole heart over
| flowing with love to the uttermost.
Christ Deity.
John, ripened by the so years com
munion and service with Christ.
| looked back to the experience in that
upper chamber as the Holy of Holies.
| The revelation of Christ's personality,
position, and power against the events
| of that dark hour showed the apostle
and the other members of the college
| of Jesus their Masters oneness with
| the Father. The shadow Of the cross
| had entered the upper room, but the
| apostles did not see it. Jesus must
have felt His coming betrayal by one
| He loved keenly. The desertion of
| many former followers had touched
| Him. He missed their presence and
support. He was facing. Al S He knew
| "the defenseless exposure to fierce
unjust, ruthless men, the untried mis-
cry Of death and dissolution, the crit
| ical trial of His cause and of all the
labor Of His life. these and many
| anXietieS that cannot be imagined
were pouring in upon His spirit II
ever there was An hour or a person
| who had a claim to be excused from
| the consideration of others, it was
Jesus at that moment.
| His love, that John recognized was
| the key to Christ's life, had intuitively
noticed the apostles difficulties. dis
cord and danger. 1t inspired Him tC
act. His consciousness of His un
| limited power and deity called for serv
ice. Jesus, knowing that the Father
| had put everything into His hands
and that He had come from God, ano
was to return to God" determined tc
crush the spirit Of selfshness and self
| seeking that filled the atmosphere oi
the upper room. John points out how
a combination of several strong mo
! tives were all marshaled and concen
trated in the Lords mind. when He
sought by personal example to teacl
them the highest and truest express
sion of the Christian life. No stronger
motives can he found than those Hi
named. They are. love. horror of evil
death, consciousness of power, Ger
| tainty of His origin in God and o
| q nfornol life with the Father The 81
! combined to move Him in the dra
matte service, He rendered to all th'
apostles, as a ma nifestation Of th'
humility of love and the supremac,
| of service.
Christ and the apostles had prob
ably entered the upper room with un
covered feet. They had left their So n
dals at the door. Their hare fee
| showed that they had been soiled OF
the journey over the limestone road
and paths. Under ordinary circum