Mark 14:12-42

Preparation for the Passover and the Institution of Communion!

Mark 14:12–42 ESV

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. 32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

The verse says the day of unleavened bread: the exact time would be the fifteenth of Nisan! This would be March and April after the paschal lamb was killed.

Mark 14:12–42 ESV

Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

(vs. 12 The Passover meal was a celebration meal, but the first time it wasn’t necessarily a celebration. The meal was representative of the Jewish people’s trust in God.

A yearly holy day set apart for the Israelites to observe the exodus from Egypt, particularly the passing over of the Israelite firstborn males when the firstborn of Egypt were struck down in the last of ten plagues. In Christian tradition, Passover is also associated with the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, as described in the New Testament, and is considered a precursor to the Christian holiday of Easter.

Jesus clarified the purpose of the Passover! Jesus was teaching that He was the the perfect sacrifice. He was the fulfilment! He was the reason the death angel passed over their home. He was the reason that death would not require their life or the life their first born.

{ Numbers 9:1–14 “1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.”

11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.””

Harper’s Bible Dictionary Passover, The

a religious festival commemorating God’s deliverance of the Jews from bondage. The English term translates the Hebrew word pesach as used in

Harper’s Bible Dictionary Passover, The

The first is to the Passover of the Exodus (

Harper’s Bible Dictionary Passover, The

The next reference is to the second year of the Exodus (

Harper’s Bible Dictionary Passover, The

The ultimate significance of the Passover, though, is not in its sociology or history, but in its unique role in the life of the Jewish people. It was and is the festival of freedom and redemption par excellence. Representative of God’s love and saving acts, it always gave the people hope in the face of physical and spiritual oppression. As a family celebration, it served as a unifying bond from generation to generation. Its strength is seen in its emergence as the most important of Jewish festivals, in its three-thousand-year continuity, and in its continuing relevance to the needs of the people, whether it be freedom from social discrimination or the acquisition of religious liberty.

The traditions of God’s love and of his saving acts prompted the nascent Christian community, according to the Gospels at the command of Jesus, to celebrate a thanksgiving (Gk. eucharistia) festival commemorating the Passover he celebrated with his disciples the night before his crucifixion (

(vs. 12) The disciples ask where do we go to rent a place for Passover? “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?” The disciples with Jesus are most likely staying at Bethany during the day.

There shall be a man- How were they to find this man? Men during the six o’clock hour was unusual. Because between this hour the lamb would have been killed and ready for passover meal. So God, had a plan for His only Begotten! This plan only God knew through Jesus Christ, and now two of His disciples. Peter and John located a man with a pitcher of water. Men in those days rarely carried pitchers of water!

So it was that the facts were revealed that a disciple of Jesus was ready for the disciples to enjoy the Passover meal with the Savior.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-One: In the Upper Room (Luke 22:1–38)

The Jews at that time reckoned days in one of two ways: from sunset to sunset or from sunrise to sunrise. The first approach was traditionally Jewish (

In Verse 18 we read Mark 14:16 “16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.”

Mark 14:17 “17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.”

Mark 14:18 “18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.””

At the Passover meal we learn that our Savior reveals His love for His disciples and for the people He would save! Luke 22:14–16 “14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.””

He desired to share this last Passover with them before He suffered. Clearly the Jewish people were celebrating the Passover commemorating the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. The crossing of the Red Sea, the Crossing of the Wilderness unto the promised land through the redemption of the innocent lamb, yet perfect lamb, of God!

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-One: In the Upper Room (Luke 22:1–38)

He would purchase redemption from sin for a world of lost sinners (

2. During the Passover meal Jesus reveals the betrayer! John 6:66–71 “66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

Although the Jesus revealed the truth that one of them was a betrayer, the mindset of the 12 disciples was pride. The lesson we must learn all the time, humility! Later we learn that on the last days, men religious and otherwise will claim to know God. Yet, He will declare to them depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you!

1 Peter 5:5 “5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

Philippians 2:1–11 “1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God is pleased with believers that surrender all things to the Lord! That includes an end of temporary sacrifices! Our Lord Jesus Christ is the sacrifice sufficient for our sins! Luke 22:16 “16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.””

This teaches us that there will be no more need for a Passover sacrifice. For the greatest and all sufficient sacrifice will complete it for them. The next great feast day would be His return and rule on this earth! Luke 22:28–30 “28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Luke 13:24–30 “24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.””

Matthew 8:11–12 “11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.””

So what does the Communion or the Supper of our Savior do? It is a Commemoration or a Celebration of our Savior’s victory over Sin, death, and hell! It is the gospel celebration. Just like your birthday party every year is a memory commemorating your birthday. The Communion that we celebrate is the commemoration of Jesus’ Victory and your birth into the kingdom of God.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-One: In the Upper Room (Luke 22:1–38)

It was when the Passover meal was drawing to a close (