"blood and water" that flowed
from the pierced side of his Lord. While the lamb is being slain the
priests are chanting, and the people responding, "Hallelujah: Blessed is
He that cometh in the Name of the Lord."

The lamb of sacrifice, slain and cleansed and roasted, is carried by the
two disciples on staves to the upper room. After lighting the festive
lamps, they have obeyed their Lord's command, "Make ready the Passover."

Meanwhile He and the remaining ten, as the sun is setting, descend the
Mount of Olives, from which He takes His last view of the holy but fated
city. The disciples follow Him, still awed by what He had told them of
its fate, and with forebodings of what awaited Him and them. Among them
was the traitor carrying his terrible secret, bent on its awful purpose
which is unknown to the nine, but well known to the Master. Thus they go
to the upper room where Peter and John are ready to receive them.

In Jesus' message to the goodman He said, "I will keep the Passover at
thy house with My disciples." They were His family. He chose to be
alone with them. Not even the mothers Mary and Salome, nor Nicodemus on
this night, nor the family of Bethany, could be of His company. No Mary
was here to anoint His feet with ointment; nor woman who had been a
sinner to bathe them with her tears. Lazarus was not one of them that
sat with them; nor did "Martha serve." It was the twelve whom He had
chosen, and who had continued with Him. It was to His apostolic family
that He said, "With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer." And so "He sat down with the twelve" alone, the only
time--as is supposed--that He ever ate the Passover meal with His
disciples.

That room became of special interest to John. Sent by his Master to find
it, he was mysteriously guided thither. There he was welcomed by the
good owner of the house, who united with him in preparation for the most
memorable feast ever held. It is there that we see him in closest
companionship with his Lord. It was the place in Jesus' mind when He
said, "Go and make ready for us the Passover." "Where shall we go?"
asked John. He found answer when he entered that upper room. Because of
his relation thereto it has been called "St. John's Room"--more sacred
than any "Jerusalem Chamber," so named, or any "St. John's Cathedral!"

_CHAPTER XXIII_

_John's Memories of the Upper Room_

"When the hour was come, He sat down, and the