The Saturday Evening Farewell Meeting

On the last evening the Christians “came together to break bread.” The fact that their beloved teacher was about to leave had called together a larger group than usual. They met in an “upper room” on the third story. There, in the intensity of his care for them, the apostle preached until midnight.ULe 142.7

In one of the open windows sat a young man named Eutychus, who went to sleep and fell to the courtyard below. He died from the fall, and many gathered around him crying and mourning. But Paul prayed earnestly that God would restore the dead to life. Above the sound of weeping, the apostle’s voice was heard, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” With joy the believers again gathered in the upper room. They celebrated the Communion service, and then Paul “talked a long while, even till daybreak.”ULe 142.8

The ship was about to sail, and Paul’s companions hurried on board. The apostle, however, chose to take the shorter route by land and meet his traveling companions at Assos. His mind was troubled over the difficulties connected with his visit to Jerusalem, the attitude of the church there toward him, and the needs of the gospel work in other fields, so he took advantage of this special opportunity to seek God for strength and guidance.ULe 143.1

As the travelers sailed south from Assos, they passed Ephesus. Paul had wanted to visit the church there, but he decided to hurry on, because he wanted “to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.” At Miletus, however, about thirty miles from Ephesus, he learned that it might be possible to communicate with the church before the ship set sail. So he sent a message to the elders, urging them to hurry to Miletus, so that he could see them.ULe 143.2

They came, and he spoke touching words of counsel and farewell to them. “You know,” he said, “from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, ... how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”ULe 143.3

Paul had always exalted God’s law. He had shown that sinners must repent, humble themselves before God, and exercise faith in the blood of Christ. The Son of God had died as their sacrifice and had gone up to heaven as their representative. By repentance and faith they could be free from condemnation, and through the grace of Christ be enabled to obey to the law of God.ULe 143.4

“And see,” Paul continued, “now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ...ULe 143.5

“I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.”ULe 143.6