Painting available through Foundation Arts.

"In The Upper Room"

The Passover feast celebrated. Israel's deliverance on that day.
An unblemished lamb sacrificed. The destroying angel, who was stayed.

In a quiet upper room in Jerusalem. Candles and oil lamps dimly lit.
It was the evening. The Lamb of God, twelve apostles, they gathered to sit.

Worshiping softly, a prayer offered with grace.
Followed by hymns, the Spirit they embraced.

A table, with white woven linen. Spread with special care.
Unleavened bread, on a plate. A cup of wine, they would share.

Christ bowed his head, a tear left his eye.
He taught them the sacrament, an eternal oath implied.

Of a body to be bruised, and blood to be spent.
To capture all sins, of those willing to repent.

The King taught of a path, made strait and clear.
That the evils of acts of Satan, would not conquer by fear.

The Redeemer reminded them, of endless glories sublime!
Life's purpose, eternal blessings, a Father's love divine!

He gave them a promise, to strengthen when weak.
His Spirit forever present, to them who are meek.

And then, the Son of Man, He left the upper room.
Walked to the Garden, later carried to the tomb.

Resurrecting in glory! Conquering the grave!
He trusted in his believers, to always be brave!

Taking the Sacrament! Keeping covenants made!
That our faith in Him, would never fade!

POET'S COMMENTS

One Sabbath morning during the Sacrament, for a brief instance, I pondered the upper room where the Last Supper took place. I imagined our Savior Jesus Christ taught the apostles of covenants and what was to come, and of blessings to follow the faithful. The Book of John (Chapters 13-17) sheds great light on that evening.

It should be remembered that the Passover was symbolic of Israel's deliverance from bondage. The children of Israel were bound in slavery to the Egyptians. They were delivered from Pharaoh by the Great Jehovah. Moses, the prophet of the Great I Am, liberated them. When the plagues were sent, Moses was instructed to smear lambs' blood over every door arch to protect Israel's firstborn. After this last curse covered the land, Pharaoh relented and gave the Hebrews their physical freedom.

Christ being the Lamb of God, unblemished, pure and innocent of any sin, freed us from the plague of spiritual death and bondage. His blood redeemed us from the Fall, and promised a cleansing of our sins through the covenant of baptism. He became the lamb and unblemished sacrifice for our spiritual freedom. Through the Sacrament we renew our baptismal covenant. And thus, are protected from a different destroying angel, even Satan.

We are invited each Sabbath day to the sacrament table, and in a sense, to the Last Supper. Although not mentioned in the quoted scripture below, sometime during that evening, Judas Iscariot's betrayal was revealed (Mark 14:18-21) It is interesting to consider that when we take the Sacrament, and do it unworthily, without repentance; we could be compared to Judas who was unworthy of the Savior's last supper in that upper room. When we willfully disobey the Savior, is it not a small betrayal of his love and trust in us, "to follow him and obey his commandments?"

What a beautiful promise he gives us if we honor the sacrament covenant, "to always have His Spirit to be with us!" Consider the account of the Last Supper given in the New Testament: (Mark 14:12-17, 22-25)

"And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve... And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

The Sacrament is an invitation to be with the Savior, and to always remember him. We can, not only share the Last Supper with him, but we can "drink with him once again, in the new kingdom of our God." (Read John 13-17 for Jesus's teachings after the supper.)