Mark 14:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

NIV: He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.'

NASB: And he himself will show you a large upstairs room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.'

CSB: He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."

NLT: He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.'

KJV: And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

NKJV: Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

Peter and John (Luke 22:8) are charged with preparing the Passover meal for Jesus and the disciples. They must find an unblemished lamb, unleavened bread, and herbs. Although Jesus had cleared the merchants out of the temple courtyard (Mark 11:15–17), the Mount of Olives is filled with booths selling everything they need. The Passover commemorates the night God "passed over" the Israelites, who had put the blood of a lamb on their doorframes, as He destroyed the firstborns of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:1–32).

Despite what Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece painting presents, Jesus and the disciples will not all sit on chairs on one side of a long table. They'll lie around a table on couches, leaning on a bolster or pillow as they reach for the food. It may not be so unusual that the room is already set up to serve so many people for dinner, as Jews from Judea, Perea, and Galilee have swollen the city's population. But that the room is still available means that either Jesus arranged for it in advance or the Holy Spirit directly acted.

Today, the Passover dinner, or Seder, is quite elaborate, but the requirements of the Mosaic law are simple. The main course is roast lamb or young goat (Exodus 12:5, 8). It was to be killed at twilight and roasted; none of its bones should be broken, and none of the meat should be kept overnight (Numbers 9:12; Exodus 12:10). It was eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, like horseradish (Exodus 12:8), and served with wine.

The similarities to the crucifixion are striking. Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35) and His blood is the wine (Mark 14:22–24). His body is "broken," but not His bones (John 19:36). And He is given sour wine to drink (Mark 15:36). Like the Passover lamb, His feet were anointed at the beginning of the week (John 12:1–8) and His head at the end (Mark 14:3). While Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Passover the evening of 14 Nisan, like all Galileans, the Judeans will have their meal the next afternoon. That means Jesus will die on the cross as the Judeans slaughter their Passover lambs.

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.