Mary Magdalene rushing into the Upper Room…

…to tell the sleeping Apostles that “Jesus is no longer in the tomb!”

James Tissot (1836-1902) is the French artist who painted Mary Magdalene Runs and Tells the Disciples That the Body of Christ Is No Longer in the Tomb. The Apostles fled fearing for their lives, except John the beloved who stayed at the foot of the Cross with the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene.

I have always wondered: Where did they hide? And, how did Mary Magdalene know where to find them so quickly after seeing that the Tomb was empty? The answer is that she probably slept in the Upper Room the night before, for all of the followers of Jesus had come to Jerusalem with Him and surely had no where to safely stay after the Crucifixion except in this Upper Room.

Upper Room

Photo of the Upper Room by Father Mark Nichols, who currently serves as associate priest at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

The Cenacle or Upper Room, is a room in Jerusalem on Mount Zion traditionally known to be the site of Jesus’ Last Supper (Passover Seder) with His disciples.
NOTE: The room in the above photo was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century.

In Luke 22:10-12, Jesus tells Peter and John to follow a man carrying a jar of water, and when he enters a house, to tell the owner, “The teacher says to you, ‘Where is a guest room, where may I eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.”

The Last Supper

The Last Supper (in the Upper Room) by Domenico Ghirlandaio, c. 1480

Other events which took place in the Upper Room are the argument between Jesus’ disciples over who was the greatest; the prophesy of Judas’ betrayal, of the disciples desertion and of Peter’s denials; the teaching of the New Commandment; and Jesus washing the disciples feet.

Jesus washing the disciples’ feet

Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples by Giovanni Stefano Danedi, 17th century

Choosing of the twelfth apostle

SAINT MATTHIAS

After the Resurrection, the election of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, to replace Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide, occurred in the Upper Room.

Doubting Thomas

The risen Lord appeared to the Apostles twice in the Upper Room, once without Thomas and again where Thomas was present.

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio, c. 1601-2

Pentecost

It was in this same Upper Room that the Apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus’ other disciples waited for ten days after the Ascension…  and then the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in tongues of fire infusing them with gifts compelling them to proclaim the Good News.

The Holy Spirit descends in the form of tongues of fire upon Mary and the Apostles
by El Greco, c. 1596

It was also this Upper Room that became the Disciples Meeting Place—here Christians assembled for the “breaking of bread” or the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in its early form. Peter and John came here when they had given testimony after the cure of the man born lame, and after an angel of the Lord released Peter from prison he came here for refuge.

The Upper Room was the center of the primitive community that formed around James the lesser, “brother of the Lord” and the first Bishop of Jerusalem. It was for awhile the only church in Jerusalem, the mother of all churches, known as the “Church of the Apostles.”

Upper Room Exterior

Through the entrance and on the left is what is known as King David’s traditional tomb, although many believe it is really located nearby in the City of David on the southeast rather than southwest part of Jerusalem. The Christian site of the Upper Room or place of the Last Supper is on the second level, and the Muslim site is on the roof.

Upper Room

This Upper Room was built in the 12th century by the Crusaders over the floor of an Upper Room built during the Byzantine period (fifth century), which was built over  the floor of a 1st century Roman Upper Room, which was built over the floor of the original Upper Room. The original Upper Room of the Last Supper was destroyed in 70AD when the city of Jeursalem was besieged and conquered by the Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command.

Upper Room is in the southwest corner of Jerusalem

I hope one day to have the experience of being in the Upper Room.