Mark 14:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?’

NIV: Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

NASB: and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, 'Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?'?’

CSB: Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"’

NLT: At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’

KJV: And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

NKJV: Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’

This is a similar situation to Mark 11:1–7. There, Jesus told two of His disciples to enter a village and bring a specific donkey colt; when asked what they were doing they were to tell nearby men that "the Lord" needs to borrow it. The Bible doesn't say if Jesus had spoken to the owner of the upper room beforehand or if the Holy Spirit had made the arrangements. Tens of thousands of visitors from Galilee to the north, Perea to the east, and around the Roman Empire have gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, so the fact that they find a fully furnished room, ready for their use, is proof God is involved somehow. It's not clear if this is the same upper room as in Acts 1:13.

This passage shows how in control Jesus is. He knows how to find a room to celebrate the Passover meal. He knows someone will betray Him (Mark 14:18). And He knows He will die (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32–34). He even tells Judas when to coordinate His arrest (John 13:27). There is nothing about this week that is outside of Jesus' control. And despite His anguish at the thought of facing the crucifixion and the removal of God's presence, He goes forward (Mark 14:36). Fortunately, He also knows that His sacrifice will succeed, and although He will not drink with His disciples past this night, He will "drink it new in the kingdom of God" (Mark 14:25).

"Disciples" is from the Greek root word mathetes. It means someone who chooses a teacher to gain more than rote knowledge. It implies a desire to follow in that teacher's way of life. The next few hours will be horrendous. One of Jesus' disciples will betray Him to the authorities (Mark 14:41–45). Another will deny knowing Him (Mark 14:66–72). The rest will scatter in fear (Mark 14:50). All but one will abandon Him as He hangs on the cross (John 19:26–27).

Knowing this, Jesus still calls them His disciples. He will spend the next few hours teaching them what He values, including service (John 13:1–20), love (John 13:34–35), the importance of valuing Him more than the world (John 15), the permanence of joy in Him (John 16:16–24), and the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:4–15). Before they leave for the garden of Gethsemane, hours before the disciples will scatter, Jesus will pray over them, that God will keep them and guard their souls (John 17:6–19). The night before the disciples' abandonment, Jesus prepares them for their reconciliation.

Mark 14:12–21 depicts the evening of 14 Nisan, when Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Passover. This is an event Jesus has been earnestly looking forward to (Luke 22:15). After the traditional Jewish Passover, Jesus will transition into the new Lord's Supper. He will also identify Judas as His betrayer and dismiss him to coordinate His arrest with the priests (John 13:21–30). The other disciples are still curious as to when Jesus will liberate Israel. This account is also recorded in Matthew 26:17–25 and Luke 22:7–13, 21–23; John goes into great detail about other aspects, particularly about what Jesus teaches, in John 13—17.

Jesus is anointed in a symbolic anticipation of His death. Judas decides to secretly cooperate with local religious leaders to arrest Jesus in secret. During the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal by Judas, and Peter's denial. He also institutes the Lord's Supper, also known as communion. After praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is captured when Judas identifies Him to a hostile mob sent by Jewish authorities. He endures a corrupt, prejudiced trial, ending in a conviction for blasphemy. Peter, fearing for his life, lies about knowing Jesus, before remembering Jesus' prediction and breaking down in sobs.

Jesus has finished His public teaching ministry and now prepares for the crucifixion. His sacrificial loyalty will provide the means by which the disciples' abandonment will be forgiven. Next, the Romans, as representatives of Gentiles throughout history, will join the Jews and kill Jesus. Jesus will be buried, but He will rise again with the promise that His sacrifice will redeem the world. Matthew 26 and Luke 22 follow Mark 14 more closely while John 13:1—18:27 records more of Jesus' teaching in the upper room.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.