What do you think?
Rate this book
The Upper Room: Jesus' Parting Promises for Troubled Hearts
In a borrowed or rented banqueting room atop some shop or large family dwelling in Jerusalem, the drama unfolded. The events and teaching recorded in John 13-16, commonly known as the Upper Room Discourse, reveal some of the most poignant and powerful promises for believers in all of Scripture. Jesus and His disciples were standing on the precipice of the darkest night in the history of the world. The Lord of glory was about to be betrayed and murdered. The disciples would be scattered, and the boldest of them would deny even knowing Him. The Lord knew full well that He Himself would soon undergo an unimaginable deluge of woe. He would be spit on and mocked by evil men. He would bear the sins of the world. He would be cursed with the wrath of God for others sins. He would feel as if His Father had utterly abandoned Him. Any other man in that situation would have been in such a state of uncontrollable agitation that He would never have been able to focus His attention on the needs of others but Jesus was different. He wanted His followers to know the peace of the One who has overcome the world. During those final hours before Jesus betrayal, He gave His disciples and consequently, all believers throughout history His parting promises, His last will and testament. It is the inheritance of every believer in Christ. In The Upper Room, pastor John MacArthur takes us back to that night and the glorious hope we have in Christ. This is vintage MacArthur an exposition of the text that resonates with devotion to the Lord and love for God s people, calling us to know and love the One who loved us to the end.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2014
70 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
John F. MacArthur Jr.
1,344 books1,924 followersJohn F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 25, 2025
Excellent insight into the last hours of Jesus with the Apostles.
January 7, 2016
Classic MacArthur!
Yet again another great book with sound biblical teaching from MacArthur. This book covers John chapters 13-16. Great insights and convicting truths. This would be a great discipleship tool for leading a newer believer.
Yet again another great book with sound biblical teaching from MacArthur. This book covers John chapters 13-16. Great insights and convicting truths. This would be a great discipleship tool for leading a newer believer.
June 12, 2020
There are few pastors that are as accomplished in the modern world as Dr. MacArthur is, there is probably no topic or chapter in the entire Christian bible that he hasn’t spoken on at length. Even his critics find it difficult to disagree with much of his reasoning when it doesn’t directly relate to the five points of Calvinism, of which he is a devotee. In short, he is quite possibly the most respected bible teacher in the modern era, and it's not difficult to see why.
I don’t have much experience with Dr. MacArthur, I’ve heard a few of his sermons and debates, but this is the first book of his that I’ve read. It didn’t take long, however, for me to realize why so many people look to him for guidance when trying to understand the bible. He has a gift for breaking things down and explaining them in plain language without making the reader feel as though he is talking to down to them. The Upper Room essentially represents a commentary on chapters thirteen through sixteen of John, and it's probably the most easily readable commentary I’ve ever come across.
Dr. MacArthur dubs these final chapters in John before the crucifixion as “The Upper Room Discourse” and spends each chapter breaking down the statements and actions of Jesus at the last supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. Specifically highlighting not only what they meant to the twelve disciples, but what those statements and promises mean to Christians living now. A lot of the statements Jesus makes aren’t necessarily new, he made allusions to them all through his public ministry, but never before had they been so explicitly stated.
What I came to appreciate most about this book, however, was the chapter dedicated to discussing Judas. In most contemporary Christian writing the attitude towards Judas seems to be one of “The less said, the better”, and that since we all agree that he’s bad we don’t have to talk about him at all. This is not the tactic that Dr. MacArthur takes. In what is perhaps the longest chapter of the book, Dr. MacArthur devotes the time required for a full breakdown of not only what Judas did, but why he did it, and the effects that it would have had on the twelve disciples immediately after he ran off and throughout the rest of the night. This chapter is the most complete discourse I have read on the man and It’s something that I think every Christian should read. Judas is an integral part of Jesus’ story and is a man that, I would say, is crucial to understand.
The rest of the book deals in equal measure with suffering, the atonement, the Holy Spirit, discipleship, evangelism, and just about every other usual topic in a book about the teachings of Jesus. All of these topics are covered with a great deal of effectiveness and I often found myself impressed with the ways that Dr. MacArthur was able to make them seem fresh and interesting. His writing on suffering and the important role it plays in the disciple’s life was especially good, he had a way of framing the connection between suffering and change that I found especially worthy of remembering.
His writing is excellent, as I mentioned above, he writes in a way that is eminently readable. There are no ten-dollar words here that he doesn’t then provide a definition of, and all of his explanations are clear and concise. There is no wasted time in The Upper Room, at no point did I get that sense that he was going on about a topic too long or simply trying to pad out a chapter for the purpose of length. There’s no fat here for an editor to cut out, which is a breath of fresh air when compared to a lot of the books that theologians and preachers write.
However, I do wonder if this book was really necessary. As I previously mentioned, most of the topics covered in this book can be more effectively explored in other passages separate from "The Upper Room Discourse". Very little that occurs in the upper room can be seen as wholly distinct when compared to the rest of Jesus' public ministry. Judas’ betrayal is obviously one, the cleansing of the disciple’s feet is another, but most of what Jesus spoke about is right in line with the rest of his preaching regarding the coming of the Kingdom of God. I almost would have preferred this book to be an exploration of Judas in more complete detail and the sin that led him to make the choices that he made, as that would have been a completely unique contribution to the world of Christian writing.
Don’t mistake that criticism as an indictment that this is a bad book, it’s not. I just feel as though the framing device used for it isn’t used to discuss wholly unique ideas or teachings that Jesus gave. This book would most likely be a great introduction to some of Jesus’ teachings for someone new to Christianity but it may not be enough for those who have been around or in the faith for a while.
I don’t have much experience with Dr. MacArthur, I’ve heard a few of his sermons and debates, but this is the first book of his that I’ve read. It didn’t take long, however, for me to realize why so many people look to him for guidance when trying to understand the bible. He has a gift for breaking things down and explaining them in plain language without making the reader feel as though he is talking to down to them. The Upper Room essentially represents a commentary on chapters thirteen through sixteen of John, and it's probably the most easily readable commentary I’ve ever come across.
Dr. MacArthur dubs these final chapters in John before the crucifixion as “The Upper Room Discourse” and spends each chapter breaking down the statements and actions of Jesus at the last supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. Specifically highlighting not only what they meant to the twelve disciples, but what those statements and promises mean to Christians living now. A lot of the statements Jesus makes aren’t necessarily new, he made allusions to them all through his public ministry, but never before had they been so explicitly stated.
What I came to appreciate most about this book, however, was the chapter dedicated to discussing Judas. In most contemporary Christian writing the attitude towards Judas seems to be one of “The less said, the better”, and that since we all agree that he’s bad we don’t have to talk about him at all. This is not the tactic that Dr. MacArthur takes. In what is perhaps the longest chapter of the book, Dr. MacArthur devotes the time required for a full breakdown of not only what Judas did, but why he did it, and the effects that it would have had on the twelve disciples immediately after he ran off and throughout the rest of the night. This chapter is the most complete discourse I have read on the man and It’s something that I think every Christian should read. Judas is an integral part of Jesus’ story and is a man that, I would say, is crucial to understand.
The rest of the book deals in equal measure with suffering, the atonement, the Holy Spirit, discipleship, evangelism, and just about every other usual topic in a book about the teachings of Jesus. All of these topics are covered with a great deal of effectiveness and I often found myself impressed with the ways that Dr. MacArthur was able to make them seem fresh and interesting. His writing on suffering and the important role it plays in the disciple’s life was especially good, he had a way of framing the connection between suffering and change that I found especially worthy of remembering.
His writing is excellent, as I mentioned above, he writes in a way that is eminently readable. There are no ten-dollar words here that he doesn’t then provide a definition of, and all of his explanations are clear and concise. There is no wasted time in The Upper Room, at no point did I get that sense that he was going on about a topic too long or simply trying to pad out a chapter for the purpose of length. There’s no fat here for an editor to cut out, which is a breath of fresh air when compared to a lot of the books that theologians and preachers write.
However, I do wonder if this book was really necessary. As I previously mentioned, most of the topics covered in this book can be more effectively explored in other passages separate from "The Upper Room Discourse". Very little that occurs in the upper room can be seen as wholly distinct when compared to the rest of Jesus' public ministry. Judas’ betrayal is obviously one, the cleansing of the disciple’s feet is another, but most of what Jesus spoke about is right in line with the rest of his preaching regarding the coming of the Kingdom of God. I almost would have preferred this book to be an exploration of Judas in more complete detail and the sin that led him to make the choices that he made, as that would have been a completely unique contribution to the world of Christian writing.
Don’t mistake that criticism as an indictment that this is a bad book, it’s not. I just feel as though the framing device used for it isn’t used to discuss wholly unique ideas or teachings that Jesus gave. This book would most likely be a great introduction to some of Jesus’ teachings for someone new to Christianity but it may not be enough for those who have been around or in the faith for a while.
June 23, 2018
Mientras estoy atravesando Juan 13 al 17 en la predicación en mi iglesia tuve conocimiento de la existencia de este libro de John MacArthur y no dudé en leerlo. Pocos días después me enteré que el mismo estaba en español, por lo que esta reseña vale para quienes quieran leerlo también. Si has escuchado predicar al pastor MacArthur entonces sabes que sus libros son similares a sus sermones por lo que en ese sentido, este libro no es diferente. Sin embargo, el tema es lo que lo hace especial. En las mismas palabras del autor, "Jesús ha dejado a sus discípulos como un legado. Él nos dio el ejemplo supremo de amor humilde cuando lavó los pies de los discípulos. Y nos dejó una completa gama de promesas: la esperanza del cielo; la presencia permanente e interna del Espíritu Santo; verdad, paz, fecundidad, alegría, poder espiritual; e incluso la garantía de que Él está con nosotros cuando somos perseguidos. Todas esas cosas pertenecen a cada verdadero discípulo de Cristo." Es tremendamente alentador considerar el contraste entre la grandeza de la humildad, valor y paz de Cristo frente a la incertidumbre, confusión y temor de los discípulos, a la vez que el profundo amor del Salvador hacia ellos al servirles hasta el fin, protegiéndolos, advirtiéndolos, liberándolos del falso apóstol Judas y enseñándoles de manera profunda todas las verdades que ellos recordarían de manera perfecta al momento en que el Espíritu Santo viniera a morar en ellos. He aquí un libro que contiene abundantes enseñanzas sobre el sermón más importante quizá, que Jesús compartió con los suyos. El lector aprecia que cada instrucción es aplicable de manera trascendental a la vida cotidiana del discípulo contemporáneo. Nada de lo que los apóstoles recibieron u oyeron deja de ser preponderante para un cristiano de cualquier siglo. No tengo dudas en recomendar este libro ya que todo lo que el sermón del aposento alto contiene es ese legado con un ciento por ciento de efectividad didáctica puesto que provee una gama completa de verdades que permiten al creyente afrontar la vida cotidiana con la seguridad de que ha sido equipado soberanamente por el Salvador desde el momento que él dio este mensaje a los suyos horas antes de ir a la cruz. El pastor MacArthur nos provee de aplicaciones sumamente prácticas y profundas y claramente doctrinales que hacen que el lector aprecie también la predicación expositiva puesto que la misma asoma en cada página del libro. Dios use este hermoso libro en la vida de cada uno que decida adquirirlo y leerlo.
April 21, 2020
Jesus begins His Upper Room discourse, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me." Pastor John MacArthur takes his readers through the last hours He spent with His disciples prior to His crucifixion. In these hours he teaches them He has not deserted them but was sent to earth to die for the sins of mankind; He will not leave them alone but will send another Comforter (speaking of the Holy Spirit). He reveals He is God and explains to them that true believers are attached to the True Vine. Jesus also washes the feet of all of His Disciples, including Judas. He reveals to the 12 that one of them will betray them and all are astonished at this revelation because Jesus never indicated in his actions and attitude toward Judas that he was in fact the one. Jesus also prays for the 11 disciples left in John 17 and encourages them in their faith by telling them that God has put them in His hand and He will lose none of them except the one who will betray Him so the scriptures could be fulfilled. This is a great book of encouragement and reveals how much Christ loved His disciples and how much He loves us. A great read for all believers.
May 9, 2017
This was the first MacArthur book I've read in a few years, and it's as solid as you'd expect from one of the best New Testament Bible teachers of this or any other generation. This is a workmanlike effort, showing more obviously than many of this recent books the structure and pattern of exposition that shows this material began its life as a series of sermons.
If you're not a fan of MacArthur you may be disappointed in this book, or any other he's done. But for those who have grown through his ministry, The Upper Room is like a visit with an old friend, or perhaps a favorite professor.
If you're not a fan of MacArthur you may be disappointed in this book, or any other he's done. But for those who have grown through his ministry, The Upper Room is like a visit with an old friend, or perhaps a favorite professor.
May 22, 2017
This was the first MacArthur book I've read in a few years, and it's as solid as you'd expect from one of the best New Testament Bible teachers of this or any other generation. This is a workmanlike effort, showing more obviously than many of this recent books the structure and pattern of exposition that shows this material began its life as a series of sermons.
If you're not a fan of MacArthur you may be disappointed in this book, or any other he's done. But for those who have grown through his ministry, The Upper Room is like a visit with an old friend, or perhaps a favorite professor.
If you're not a fan of MacArthur you may be disappointed in this book, or any other he's done. But for those who have grown through his ministry, The Upper Room is like a visit with an old friend, or perhaps a favorite professor.
August 27, 2020
Like all of other MacArthur's books, this is theologically solid and in-depth yet not "out of reach" to those who aren't biblical scholars. Most of the text uses John 13-14 for its foundation, which is comforting to those of us who are believers. However, the point is definitely made that for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, there WILL be persecution and we will be despised by the world. But take heart, because we will be rewarded in the end, for all of eternity - just like Jesus's original 11 disciples (we all know where Judas is)...
June 7, 2025
If you are a student of the Bible, then MacArthur is your guy. I will need to continue to explore his resources, especially if I get involved in a small group and wish to recommend a book or Bible series. This book is fairly basic in commentary, but I still wrote in some notes to my Bible regarding this famous passage in the Gospel of John (the Upper Discourse). Chapter seven, The Gift of Peace, was especially meaningful and is a powerful message to a culture looking for any kind of peace in the midst of all this chaos (John 14:27: "Let not your hearts be troubled...").
November 25, 2017
A good reminder of who we are in Christ.
James 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;. This came at a time when I needed to look at who i am in Christ and be reminded and enlightened of what it means to be His disciple.
James 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;. This came at a time when I needed to look at who i am in Christ and be reminded and enlightened of what it means to be His disciple.
February 17, 2018
A beautiful and wonderful book! Explains the historical account of Jesus and His disciples during their time in the upper room. You will learn things about this event you have never considered. John MacArthur explains it in a manner that is easy to read and understand. John MacArthur is a gifted Bible teacher.
June 13, 2017
Different perspective on Jesus's encounter with the disciples the evening before his crucifixion. His parting words to these men serve as an excellent reminder of our own purpose as Christ-followers.
April 29, 2020
Have read the French translation "La Chambre haute" ISBN : 978-2-89082-275-7
Très bon livre formateur faisant ressortir toute la grandeur de l'oeuvre de Christ dans sa formation des Douze apôtres lors de son dernier repas.
Très bon livre formateur faisant ressortir toute la grandeur de l'oeuvre de Christ dans sa formation des Douze apôtres lors de son dernier repas.
December 19, 2021
I would have given this book 5 stars easily but MacArthur doesn’t even cover chapter 16 of the Gospel of John which is still part of the Upper Room Discourse. Other than that, the content given was great and very well written (at least I have his commentary on John for further reading and study).
November 23, 2017
Read aloud with my wife for family worship. Simply good, especially for this.
March 13, 2018
Great book
As always Pastor John is right on target this book is a must read in these days of so called progressive Christianity I highly recommend it
As always Pastor John is right on target this book is a must read in these days of so called progressive Christianity I highly recommend it
March 29, 2018
Macarthur at his best.
July 26, 2020
Incredible insight into the totality of who Jesus was to his disciples and all of humanity, looking only through the lens of his final night with the twelve.
March 28, 2022
**4.5 out of 5 stars**
Perfect start to the Easter season ✝️. I especially loved the chapter "The Humility of Love". It changed me.
Perfect start to the Easter season ✝️. I especially loved the chapter "The Humility of Love". It changed me.
May 8, 2018
You can't go wrong with John MacArthur. He is straight forward in his approach and for me, he always lead me back to the firm ground of sound Bible exegesis.
April 15, 2016
A phenomenal read about the last hours Jesus spent with his disciples. My favorite chapter concerns Jesus' relationship with Judas. Even at the end, Jesus attempts one last time to offer Judas and olive branch, but Judas denies it. It is a fascinating chapter about the culture and the times that surrounded that event.
June 9, 2019
Intimidad
El aposento alto para mi es sinónimo de intimidad con Jesús, es donde te desnudan y te muestras tal como eres para poder ejercer la obra para la cual fuiste llamado, este libro me mostró la forma en que Jesús preparó a sus apóstoles para la gran comisión que sería iniciada por la venida del Espíritu Santo
El aposento alto para mi es sinónimo de intimidad con Jesús, es donde te desnudan y te muestras tal como eres para poder ejercer la obra para la cual fuiste llamado, este libro me mostró la forma en que Jesús preparó a sus apóstoles para la gran comisión que sería iniciada por la venida del Espíritu Santo
January 18, 2015
Insightful explanations and applications from John 13 - 16. Add this one to your MacArthur reading collection.
January 9, 2016
It took me a while to get through this.. MacArthur makes valid points, but he repeats himself often.
February 3, 2015
One of my favorite MacArthur books. Interesting points. Encouraging and challenging content.
July 19, 2015
Fantastic! Easy read that's informative and thought provoking. Definitely one of my MacArhur favorites.
Read
June 18, 2016Great Book.
January 8, 2022
I've heard Dr. MacArthur's expository preaching; this book is his expository book writing! I've learned so much from this book, and it has made me desire Christ's fellowship more.
January 4, 2015
Marvelous exegesis of chapters 13-16 of The Gospel According to John.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews