Imagine that you have walked into a lavish theater. An usher hands you a playbill and leads you to your seat. As the orchestra warms up, you read the bio of the actors and who they’re playing. You read the summary of each scene to get a feel for the story arc. And then the house lights go down and the curtain rises and you’re immediately swept away by the stage and the setting and the costumes.

Perhaps the Disciples had a similar experience when they entered the Upper Room on that glorious night. The table was set. The characters were all in place. There were James and John, the Sons of Thunder, who had recently requested the honor of sitting at Jesus’s right and left hand in his kingdom. They were not sitting on either side of Jesus at the table. There was Simon Peter, arguably Jesus’s best friend — also not at the side of the Master. That honor was reserved for Judas, the treasurer, who for some reason seemed uncomfortable this evening.

The room was noisy in an anxious way. You might call it an expectant hum. After all, Jesus had brought them to Jerusalem for Passover, and that seemed significant. He was on the “Most Wanted” list with the religious authorities of the day, and the fact that He had led them right into the biggest city for the biggest celebration could only mean one thing: it was finally time. Jesus was ready to fight! He was ready to establish His kingdom!

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The journey to Jerusalem had been … interesting, and Jesus seemed intently focused on teaching important lessons along the way. He was passionate and direct, as if He had much to say and little time to say it.

For instance, when the Sons of Thunder had made their audacious request: “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory,” Jesus responded in a way no one would have expected. Obviously, these brothers were grasping for glory! Following the traditions of the world then (and now), they knew that power and authority were grounded in who you know. They wanted Jesus to give them places of honor in His kingdom. They wanted to be great.

When the other Disciples found out about this, they were indignant (Mark 10:41). After all, just days earlier, Jesus had interrupted an argument among the 12 about which of them was the greatest, and He solved it by giving an object lesson. He dismissed the glory of the religious leaders and the rich young ruler but stopped everything to welcome children and to bless beggars. He turned their ideas of greatness upside down!

But when James and John asked for personal glory in God’s kingdom, Jesus didn’t rebuke their ambition. Instead, He took the opportunity to correct their understanding of greatness. Mark 10:42-45 says: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Disciples must have been confused. Jesus’s definition of greatness was unlike anything the world could comprehend. But Jesus knew they would soon understand, because they were about to see true greatness, unhindered glory, right before their eyes.

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So they gathered in the Upper Room with an air of expectation, and Jesus entered with an air of expectation, too. John says, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father. This was the night. Furthermore, John reminds us that Jesus loved these men. He had chosen them, and He had invested in them. Sometimes they thrilled Him. Sometimes they frustrated Him. Sometimes they made Him laugh, and sometimes He must have wanted to start over with His group! But always, He loved them.

Jesus looked around the table, knowing the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, and with a heart bursting with emotion, He seized these last hours with His friends. One more chance to teach them. One more chance to implore them. One more chance to prepare them for what was about to happen. One more chance to help them understand His true identity, and theirs.

John records this last night in great detail so that we, too, can glimpse the true majesty of the Messiah as He prepared to give His life as a ransom for us. The stage is set. The characters are in place. The curtain has risen, and we are able to witness one glorious night.