Lessons from the Upper Room: The Heart of the Savior

by Sinclair B. Ferguson

What would you give to spend an evening with Jesus, hearing Him teach and listening to Him pray? This is what we encounter in the Farewell Discourse of John 13–17. As the shadow of the cross loomed, Christ shared His final hours with the disciples to prepare them for His death, quiet their troubled hearts, and intercede on their behalf before the Father. In Lessons from the Upper Room, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson draws us into these intimate hours from the night when Jesus was betrayed. This vivid picture of Christ’s ministry, from His washing the disciples’ feet to His High Priestly Prayer, shows us the heart of Jesus. Discover His deepest desires for His people and take delight in the suffering Savior who has overcome the world.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christianity, Audiobook

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2021

About the author

Sinclair B. Ferguson is Associate Preacher at St Peter's Free Church in Dundee and also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina and prior to that, he was minister of St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow.

Reviews

[Lindsay Lemus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omgeeee this was so edifying!! The way Sinclair Ferguson articulates scripture and how we should understand it is top tier for me. I listened to this one and HAVE to get a physical copy. There are so many things I would like to underline and annotate.
He takes the scriptures of John chapters 13-18 and deep dives into those last moments in the upper room during the last supper what Christ was really trying to instill in his disciples and how those last lessons he gave are ones we can also apply in our own walks of faith. All I have to say is the chapter about the vine took your girl out!!! The imagery he uses to explain that chapter and what Jesus is saying...whew...I needed that!
Highly Recommend!

[Parker Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most rich, pastoral, and encouraging books I have ever read. Sinclair delivers on what he set out to do. That is, immerse you in the atmosphere of the upper room, the night before Jesus crucifixion. The book magnified my view of Christ and deepened my understanding of his love for me. Highly recommend!

[Owen Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read of the 2023 Shepherd’s Conference book giveaways. It is a good, devotional survey of John 13-17, and should help you grow in your love for Christ. I look forward to reading more of Sinclair Ferguson in the future.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sinclair Ferguson only gets 5 stars.

[Stacy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya know a books great when it makes you cry! This book breaks down everything that happened in the upper room. It explains Jesus's actions and helps you to understand the significance of everything He did. The last chapter talks about Jesus's prayer for us and I just lost it! So powerful!

[Ashlyn Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that stirred my affections for Christ as Ferguson pulls apart John 13-17. The weight of being invited into the intimate hours in the upper room with Christ, his disciples, and the one who was fore-known to betray him is heavy and but no less a gift. Beautifully written in a way that honors the text in unity with the rest of scripture!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

I was expecting more depth from this author/publisher

Format: Book, owned
Rating: 3.5 stars
Book 4 of 2025

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am having a hard time writing a review of this. I think it is probably better than the 3 stars I marked it as but I don't feel I can give it more stars.
I think for me it was a writing style issue. I think I would have like it a lot more if this was a series of sermons or a class I was going to. I believe that is what it started as and then was put into writing. This did not flow well from verbal to written, in my opinion.
I do think that the teaching was good and it did make me look at the last supper and the teachings of Jesus in John 13-17 more closely, and hopefully I will be able to read that section in my Bible reading with new and fresh eyes.

[Rocio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons from the Upper Room by Sinclair Ferguson is a deeply moving and theologically rich book that focuses on the final hours Jesus spent with His disciples the night before the cross. I read it for the first time in preparation for Holy Week, and I know it’s one I’ll return to again and again.

Ferguson walks readers through John 13–17 with warmth, clarity, and insight, helping us linger in the sacred space where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, shared the Last Supper, and spoke words of comfort and love. Each chapter invites you to slow down and reflect on Christ’s humility, grace, and heart for His people.

One quote that especially stayed with me:
“Jesus knew not only that He would be betrayed. He knew His betrayer’s identity—Judas Iscariot. It was in full knowledge of this that He knelt down and removed the grime from his feet…. There are no exceptions to the feet we are called to wash.”

This book has forever changed the way I will read the Upper Room narrative. Highly recommend to anyone looking to grow in their love for Christ and understanding of His Word—especially during Lent or Easter.

[Logan Woodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never have I thought of the scene of the Upper Room in such a rich and profound way as is explained here by Ferguson. From explaining Christ’s exemplifying of His servanthood, to Christ’s speaking of His eternal glory, this book is beautiful. He was accurate in including in the title “The Heart of the Savior,” because truly, the Upper Room is a snapshot of the heart of our Lord. His humility, His gentleness, His knowledge, His care, His power, His connection with the Father, His glory, etc.. If one is looking to better understand who Jesus Christ is, particularly who He Himself said He is, this is an excellent read. Praise be to Jesus Christ of the Upper Room, the cross, the grave, and the throne. And much appreciation to Ferguson for writing this book in a way that is easy to understand, not too exhaustive in length, and yet greatly magnifying of the glory of this scene in the book of John.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I finished this book because it was given to me by a dear friend and mentor. Otherwise, I probably would not have finished it. If I had read this book 5 years ago, I think I would have enjoyed it more, but today it just seems too heady and removed from any sort of practical theology. There were moments in this book that were good, one chapter in particular, but on the whole it seemed to drag on and make "the heart of the Savior" a dense and unrelatable subject matter. I often asked the question, "a lot of words are being used here, but do they really mean anything, and if so, what do they actually mean in the day to day or how are they allowing me to better see the heart of the Savior?" I rarely, if ever, felt like that question had a good answer. I think many will find this a good book, but it was just a bit too reformed and heady for me.

[Michael T Moos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intimate view into Jesus’ last night with His friends.

[Nancy Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! As an added blessing you should listen to Ferguson's own lilting voice teaching this (free on Hoopla)

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my top 10 favorite reads of all time.

[Andrew Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Sinclair Ferguson which means it's a must read. I will go back to this book again and again for devotional warmth, theological precision, and exegetical clarity.

[Melissa Layne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few great points I enjoyed, but pretty hard to get through as it was pretty dry.

[Robert Godinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes into intimate detail on the heart of Jesus, through the book of John 13-17. The book of John captures the heart of Jesus and Dr. Ferguson does a great job with the theology of the book of John as well as describing what it would have possibly been like to be one of Jesus’s apostles sitting in the upper room with Jesus, the night before Jesus’s crucifixion. From the washing of the disciple’s feet, to Jesus’s betrayal of Judas, Dr. Ferguson takes us through Jesus’s great teachings of The True Vine, Revealing the Father, Jesus Promises Another Helper and Jesus’s Prayer to The Father in the Garden of Gethsemane and much more. I was encouraged by remembering John’s writings about Jesus’s Gift of His Peace and His Love and Joy. Dr. Ferguson writes and explores the book of Acts and many of Paul’s epistles, but does a great job on always coming back to the upper room. This is a well written book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the power of The Holy Spirit and the heart and love of Our Father and Our Savior from the aspects of the upper room.

[Chris Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the way that only Sinclair Ferguson can do, his writing puts the reader directly into the upper room with Jesus and his disciples. You will spend the evening there with Jesus, hear Him teach and listen to His earnest prayer - the prayer which Ferguson rightly describes as the most important words Jesus uttered in all of the gospels.

“In Lessons from the Upper Room, Dr Sinclair Ferguson draws us into these intimate hours from the night when Jesus was betrayed. This vivid picture of Christ’s ministry, from His washing the disciples feet to His High Priestly Prayer, shows us the heart of Jesus. Discover His deepest desires for His people and take delight in the suffering Savior who has overcome the world.”

Truly an encouraging and edifying read.

[Raegan Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful exposition of John 13-17. Ferguson does an excellent job walking us through “The Heart of the Savior” from Christ’s humility, power, knowledge, gentleness, glory, connection with the Father, etc. Ferguson does a great job explaining the theology of the book of John while bringing us a deep, personal understanding of the events happening in the upper room. This book has deepened my understanding of the gospel. It is written in a way that is easy to understand yet magnifies the power of this scene in John. I highly recommend it!

[Stephanie Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've been teaching through the Upper Room Discourse in our Youth Ministry this semester and this has been a great book to read. It's practical, encouraging, and sheds a lot of insight to help understand Jesus' teaching during His last night with the disciples before His crucifixion (and what it means for us).

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book that can be raced through and mostly forgotten. Slowly savored; realizing the profound love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A whole new understanding of glory and mercy, through His words in the upper room and His prayer in the garden.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! Every page was thought provoking and beautifully written.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Amy Esslinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, short book on understanding more of Christ’s heart behind his actions & prayer in John 13-17.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

June 20, 2025 * 4 - 4.5 stars

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listed to an audio version of this that was a recorded set of lectures Dr Ferguson taught in England. I enjoyed his engaging sense of humor and attention to detail as he progressed throughout the text. It explanations were sound and as he mentioned toward the end, he was merely just scratching the surface of the Upper Room Discourse. I enjoyed the book and thought it well written.

[Helen Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes us deeper into John 13-17 and gives great insight and understanding of these wonderful chapters.

[Madeline Meeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Ronnie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sinclair Ferguson is one of the best preachers, teacher, and theologians out there today. Lessons From The Upper Room is a wonderful exposition of John 14-17. Ferguson does an amazing job of understanding the depth and scope of Jesus final few hours with His disciples before He goes to the cross. This book is top shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to know our Lord and Savior through the study of his Word, walk, and works.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely terrific!!! Definitely a favorite. It so beautifully shines a light on God's love for His children.