Did disciples repent before going to upper room?

Answer 1

No. Most modern professing Christians don't understand what had been going on with the, as yet, unconverted disciples.

They had no clue in their carnal hearts that they had anything to repent of! The One whom they believed was the awaited "Messiah" [the Christ] CHOSE THEM! The Messiah kept telling them that He was going to give them all a THRONE to sit on as KINGS in His Kingdom [Matt.19:28].

So, in their minds -- THEY HAD IT MADE! They had ground-floor positions of authority over all of Judaea in the prospective restored Kingdom promised to them. Not only was Jesus going to fulfill all the prophecies they'd been taught as children and restore the Kingdom to Israel -- they were to be the COGS of the WHEEL that ran it!

So. repent of what?

All they were waiting for [for the past 3 1/2 years] was for the Messiah to set it all up for them, and they would take over and kick the Romans out of their country. God could do it... the prophecies were written... and it was time.

But, when they saw their King and Messiah quietly and passively allow Himself to be arrested and taken away -- they were devastated... not repentant. They felt HOPELESS... not repentant.

If they had any sense of repentance, it was their own self-pity; sorry for themselves over having wasted their time listening to Him and following Him for three-and-a-half years.

Now, they were just terrified and ashamed. Their dreams and hopes had been shattered, along with their future. All their Jewish friends and relatives... and whoever remembered seeing them with Jesus in the past... knew them for the fools that they all felt like right about then. These people killed Him; and they feared the Jews and fully expected them to come for them before long.

That following first day of the week, after word began to spread that Jesus was alive... there was only doubt and confusionamong them... not thoughts of repentance. They locked themselves in that upper room IN FEAR; not repentance.

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you... Then, were the disciples GLAD, when they saw the Lord." (John 20:19-20 NIV)

They weren't "repentant"... they were "glad" He was back. Now, maybe they could have their dreams back... maybe?

It wasn't until later when Jesus "opened their minds and hearts" to the Truth of God, that they began to understand the depth of what was going on:

"Then opened He their Understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures... that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

They were suddenly witnesses. They suddenly had a job to do. They suddenly had RESPONSIBLILITY!

The reality and nature of repentance didn't hit them until after their "dreamworld" was shattered... and after Jesus' return to them, which brought to the surface their shame and cowardice.

Then, a new outlook on what the Messiah was offering them began to dawn on them. They suddenly knew that they hadn't been worthy of the thrones the King had offered them... and that they had a lot of spiritual development to undergo. And that it was just beginning.

Then, they bowed before Him, ashamed and repentant. They found themselves Forgiven and Thankful to Him for His Grace and Mercy. And when they finally received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost after their King ascended into heaven; they boldly began their witness and testimony to the Kingdom and to its King, of which they humbly vowed to prove themselves worthy.