Mark 14:12

‘And on the first day of Unleavened Bread when they used to sacrifice (or ‘when it was customary to sacrifice') the Passover, his disciples say to him, “Where do you want us to go and make ready so that you may eat the Passover?'

Strictly the first day of Unleavened Bread was the day after the slaying of the Passover but the whole eight days were often loosely called ‘Unleavened Bread' (just as they were often called ‘the Passover') so that this was the day before the seven days of Unleavened Bread. Thus it was the day one which the Passover would be sacrificed. Note the stress in these verses on the Passover (Mark 14:12 twice, Mark 14:14; Mark 14:16). Mark may well have wanted his readers to have in mind the new Passover Lamb Who was to be offered, the offering of Whom would bring to men the water of life (Mark 14:13, compare John 4:10), and ample provision for the future (Mark 14:15, compare Mark 14:25; John 14:2). All was to be prepared for in that guest room.

When they used to sacrifice the Passover.' This was on the 14th day of Nisan (Abib). The Last Supper was the Passover meal. Some have suggested that John mistakenly made this a meal on the night before Passover, but that is probably to misread John.

Proof that this meal was the Passover meal is found in that:

1). The meal was eaten in Jerusalem and not at Bethany. This was a requirement of the Passover meal. Bethany was outside the bounds for eating the Passover meal itself.

2). It was eaten late at night (John 13:30) as the Passover meal had to be. Normally the evening meal would have been in the late afternoon.

3). The reference to reclining helps to confirm it (Mark 14:18; John 13:23; John 13:28). The Passover meal had to be eaten reclining (although reclining at table was a fairly regular way of eating).

4). The meal does not appear to have begun with bread-breaking (Mark 14:18). This was a peculiarity of the Passover meal which began with the eating of bitter herbs.

5). Wine was drunk. Ordinarily a Rabbi and his disciples would drink water.

6). Mark 14:26 would suggest the singing of the Hallel, Psalms 115-118 which (with 113-114 earlier) were sung at the Passover meal.

Note on The Passover. Was the Last Supper the Passover Meal?

The Passover was the great Jewish festival which commemorated the slaying of the firstborn in Egypt, and the following exodus from Egypt of the Israelites (Exodus 12:24), together with those who joined themselves with them (the ‘mixed multitude') and became Israelite by adoption (Exodus 12:38). The Passover lambs were slain on the afternoon of the 14th Nisan (roughly April), after the daily sacrifice, which, by the time of Jesus, was put back in order to leave time for the slaying of the Passover lambs, which had to be slain in great numbers.

The Passover meal was eaten in the evening (on the commencement of 15th Nisan, for the Jewish day began at sunset). There was a specific pattern followed at the meal, although variations within that pattern were allowed. The celebration of the Passover was connected with the seven day feast of Unleavened Bread which by this time was so closely linked with the Passover that the whole eight days of the feast could be called The Passover (Luke 22:1) or Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:12). This specific link with the Passover, which was there from earliest times, is confirmed by Josephus, the Jewish first century AD historian.

It was celebrated in Jerusalem in smallish groups (ten or more) in individual houses within the city bounds, each group having a lamb. The lambs were slain within the Temple area, which confirms that they were sacrificial offerings. Movement during the evening was restricted to a limited area, although Gethsemane came within that area (but Bethany did not).

Jews living within a reasonable distance were expected to gather in Jerusalem for the feast (for those within fifteen miles it was compulsory) and even those who lived far afield among the Gentiles (the Dispersion) made great efforts to attend. Thus Jerusalem might contain around 200,000 people at Passover time. Josephus' estimate of 3,000,000 is almost certainly exaggerated. It would not have been possible to sacrifice sufficient lambs to meet his figures within the restricted Temple area in such a short time, indeed it would have taken the whole week (although had it not been possible no doubt some compromise solution would have been discovered, and some have suggested that in view of this the Passover spread over more than one day. But if so there is no hint of it anywhere in extant literature).

The Passover meal would begin with the ritual search by candlelight for any leavened bread which may have been overlooked (it was forbidden at the feast) and the Passover meal would then be eaten reclining, a sign of confidence in God. It included the symbolic elements of roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, some other condiments and four cups of red wine mixed with water, drunk at specific points. The first cup was drunk with a blessing (Luke 22:17 probably refers to this cup, although some refer Luke's reference to the second cup), followed by the washing of hands by dipping in water. Some of the herbs would then be dipped in salt water and given out After this the eating surface would be cleared, and the second cup would be filled.

Before the drinking of the second cup the story of the original Passover was recounted in a dialogue between father and eldest son (or if necessary suitable substitutes). At this stage the Passover meal would be brought back to the table and each of its constituents explained. It is quite possible that one question would be (as it was later) ‘what means this bread?' The reply was ‘this is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate when they were delivered from the land of Egypt'.

After these explanations the second cup would be drunk, accompanied by the singing of part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-114), and then there would be a further dipping of the hands in water. After this came the breaking of one or two of the unleavened cakes, which was  followed  by the giving of thanks. Pieces of the broken bread with bitter herbs between them were dipped in a mixture and handed to each of the company (see John 13:26), and it would appear that then the company would themselves dip bread and herbs into the mixture (Matthew 26:23; Mark 14:20). This was the real beginning of the actual Passover meal. At this stage the Passover lamb itself would be eaten.

Nothing was to be eaten thereafter, although in later times the eating of a final piece of unleavened bread followed. After a third dipping of hands in water the third cup was drunk, again accompanied by a blessing. This cup was considered of special importance. The singing of the Hallel (Psalms 115-118) was completed with the fourth cup (see Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26), and this was followed by prayer. It must be remembered that this was a joyous feast and not a service so that eating and general conversation would be taking place throughout, except at the most solemn moments.

It is quite clear that the first three Gospels (the Synoptic Gospels) show the Last Supper of Jesus to be the Passover meal. Jesus sent two of His disciples (Peter and John - Luke 22:8) to ‘prepare the Passover' (the lamb, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, the wine, etc), so that He could ‘eat the Passover with His disciples' (Mark 14:12 and parallels). It was probably one or both of these who went to the Temple area with the lamb for slaying. The room was ‘furnished and ready' which may mean that the owner had provided what was necessary. We are told that they ate the meal reclining (Matthew 26:20; John 13:23) as would be expected at the Passover meal.

It is possible that the breaking of bread by Jesus ‘after He had given thanks' was the same as the breaking of bread at the feast but if so it is noticeable that Jesus gave thanks beforehand because He was enduing it with a new meaning. It could, however, have been that Jesus introduced a second breaking of bread, establishing a new pattern with a new significance. ‘This is my body' parallels ‘this is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate'. In the latter case it was clearly a symbolic partaking with the fathers, as it were, in their affliction, but with a real sense of participation. Thus the former is also to be seen as symbolic, a partaking with Jesus, as it were, in His sufferings and their consequence, again with a real sense of participation. The wine, which Paul calls the ‘cup of blessing' (1 Corinthians 10:16), was probably the third cup given a new significance.

Some have argued that it could not have been the Passover meal. They have argued:

1). A trial would not have been held on Passover night.

2). The disciples would not have borne arms on that night.

3). Simon of Cyrene would not have been ‘coming in from the country' the following morning.

4). Some Synoptic passages are inconsistent with it e.g. Mark 14:2.

These arguments are, however, not telling. Passover time, while the pilgrims were still in the city, might be considered precisely the time when a ‘false prophet' should be executed in order that ‘all Israel might hear and fear' (Deuteronomy 17:13). Furthermore the whole affair was carried out in haste probably because Judas' information made it possible for it to be done secretly and Jesus was there available. They dared not miss such an opportunity, especially as they learned from Judas that his cover had been blown.

Mark 14:2 merely expresses the plan of the authorities, which was subject to change if circumstances demanded, while some suggest translating ‘feast' as ‘festal crowd' rather than ‘feast day' which is quite possible.

There was no prohibition of arms being carried at the Passover.

‘Coming in from the country' need not mean that Simon had been outside the prescribed limits, and indeed he may not have been a Jew at all. Besides it would always be possible that he had been delayed by some cause beyond his control so that he had arrived late for the Passover.

But this immediately faces us with a problem. John 18:28 seems at first sight to suggest that Jesus died at the same time as the Passover sacrifice. ‘They themselves did not enter into the palace that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover'. That would then mean that the scene in John 13 occurred on the night before the Passover feast. Yet as we have seen the other Gospels make clear that Jesus officiates at the Passover feast (Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7), and there can be little doubt that both are depicting the same feast.

However what must be borne in mind is that John 18:28 may be speaking of ‘the Passover', not as meaning the Passover feast itself, but in a general sense as including the whole seven day feast that followed (compare John 2:23 where ‘the feast of the Passover' is clearly the seven days of the feast and Luke's use in Luke 22:1), so that ‘eating the Passover' may refer to the continual feasting during the week (unleavened bread had to be eaten throughout the week and there would be special offerings and thank-offerings as well) and not to the actual Passover celebration, in which case there is no contradiction. We can compare with this how in 2 Chronicles 30:22 the keeping of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:13) which includes the Passover (Mark 14:15) is described as ‘eating the food of the festival for seven days'.

Against this, however we should note that ‘to eat the Passover' does at least include eating the Passover supper in the Synoptics (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Mark 14:14; Luke 22:8; Luke 22:11; Luke 22:15). Although that does not necessarily tie the escorts of Jesus to using it in the same way after the Passover supper has passed.

Alternately it has been suggested that in fact the men involved had been so taken up with the pursuit of Jesus into the night as a result of Judas' unexpected offer to lead them to Jesus in a place where he could be taken without fear of the people, that they had not yet had time to complete their Passover meal. We only have to consider the facts of that night to recognised how involved their night had been! They may well have been disturbed in the middle of their Passover meal and have convinced themselves that such a delay was justified in order to deal with Jesus as a false prophet at what was clearly a crucial moment. Once they had dealt with Him they could go home to finish eating their Passover, which had been suddenly delayed for reasons of state, with contented minds. They might have considered that ‘Circumstances alter cases'. This was to them an exceptional situation. Strictly, however, the Passover meal had to be completed by the morning.

In the same way his reference to ‘the preparation of the Passover' or ‘the Friday of the Passover' (paraskeue tou pascha) (John 19:14) can equally be seen as referring to the ‘preparation' for the Sabbath occurring in Passover week, i.e. the Friday of Passover week, as it certainly does in verse John 19:31, and therefore not the preparation of the Passover feast itself. Basically the word paraskeue does mean ‘Friday' (even today) as well as ‘preparation' and the term Passover (pascha) was used to describe the whole festival. In this case he gives no suggestion that Jesus died at the same time as the Passover lamb.

Another alternative answer suggests that not all Jews celebrated the Passover on the same day. We do know that the Essenes had their own calendar to which they rigidly adhered, and forbade their members to follow the orthodox calendar, and they would therefore celebrate the Passover on a different day from the priests, but without a lamb. And there are possibly some grounds for suggesting that Galileans, an independent lot who were looked on by Judaeans as somewhat unorthodox, may well have celebrated the Passover a day earlier than Judaeans. Thus it may be that Jesus and His disciples, who were Galileans, followed this Galilean tradition, if it existed, and celebrated the Passover a day earlier than the Judaeans. But the known evidence is slight.

A further possibility that has been suggested is that in that year the Pharisees observed the Passover on a different day from the Sadducees, due to a dispute as to when the new moon had appeared that introduced Nisan. Such a dispute is known to have happened around this time. If so pressure might have been put on to sacrifice Passover lambs on two days. Jesus would thus have been able to observe the feast of the Passover with His disciples and then die at the same time as the Passover sacrifices.

A final suggestion is that Jesus celebrated a special kind of Passover for His disciples which took place without a lamb (no lamb is mentioned), with a view to establishing His new Passover. But this does not tie in with the language used. The possible alternatives do, however, bring out how foolish dogmatism on the matter would be.

The suggestion that John was either mistaken or changed the day for theological purposes is the least likely explanation. The early church was far too well aware of the fact that the Last Supper was ‘the Passover feast' for such a change to be accepted, and John would have had it firmly pointed out to him by his ‘witnesses' (John 21:24). We must not assume that the leaders of the early church were all dimwits. Nor does John emphasise anywhere that Jesus died at the same time as the Passover lamb. Had this been his intention he would surely have drawn attention to it more specifically.

End of Note.