Come To The Upper Room: Lenten Devotions From Time Of GraceSample

Come to the upper room--and be comforted

It’s one of the mysteries of human existence that sometimes it’s in the bleakest of moments that wonderful things can happen. An injured child in the hospital leads a husband and wife to stop arguing and draws them back together . . . a mortal threat to a business stops staff bickering and gets the team spirit going again . . . a son gets arrested and suddenly has time and ears for the old man’s advice.

In the darkened upper room where Jesus ate his last Passover meal with his disciples, oil lamps flickering, they heard hard predictions from the Master of suffering and persecutions to come. But they heard also heartwarming words of comfort from the One who knew he would emerge victorious in three days: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

Is there a term or name that you could wish for that is more desirable than being called a friend of Jesus? It cost Jesus his life to give you that status. You can wear that badge every time you pray, and, through Christ, the Father will listen to you. You can wear that name tag when you step into court on judgment day, and the Judge will acquit you immediately because all your misdeeds have been wiped from your record.

Say it with gratitude and pride: “I am Jesus’ friend!”