12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14 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? 15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. (Mark 14:12-16 KJV)
Jesus Prepares for the Passover
In these verses, we have Christ eating the Passover with his disciples the night before he died, using the joys and comforts of the ordinance to prepare himself for his approaching sorrows. The full prospect of what was coming did not keep him from this solemnity. Note: No fear of trouble, whether present or future, should hinder us from attending holy ordinances when we have the opportunity.
Christ ate the Passover at the usual time, when the other Jews did, on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread—the day they killed the Passover lamb (Mark 14:12). He directed his disciples on how to find the place where he intended to eat the Passover, showing again his perfect knowledge of distant and future events, as he had when he sent them for the donkey he rode in triumph (Mark 11:6).
“Go into the city (for the Passover must be eaten in Jerusalem), and you’ll meet a man carrying a pitcher of water; follow him, go into the house he enters, ask for the master of the house (Mark 14:14), and request a room.”
The people of Jerusalem likely had rooms set up to rent out for this occasion, and Christ used one of these, not a friend’s house or a place he had frequented before. Otherwise, he would have said, “Go to such a friend,” or, “You know where we usually go.” He likely chose a place where he was unknown so he could be undisturbed with his disciples, perhaps also to keep Judas unaware until the last moment. The man carrying water may symbolize the clean heart where Christ chooses to dwell (Isaiah 1:16-18).
Jesus ate the Passover in a furnished upper room—laid with carpets, as Dr. Hammond suggests—which seems to have been a fine dining room. Though Christ usually avoided luxury in his meals and often sat on the grass, when it came to a sacred feast, he sought a room that reflected reverence for the occasion. God does not look at outward display, but he honors expressions of inward respect for divine institutions, which may be lacking in those who deny themselves simple decencies in worship to save costs.
Jesus ate it with the twelve, his family, to teach heads of households—whether parents, employers, or teachers—to maintain religion and worship in their homes. Judas was with them, even though he was already plotting to betray his Master. This is clear from what follows (Mark 14:20). He didn’t stay away, as that would have made him suspicious. If his seat had been empty, the others would have said, as Saul did of David, “He is not clean, surely he is not clean” (1 Samuel 20:26).
Hypocrites, though they know the risk, still join in special ordinances to maintain appearances and hide their wickedness. Christ did not exclude Judas, though he knew his evil, because it was not yet public or scandalous. Christ, who intended to entrust the keys of the kingdom to men who can only judge by appearances, modeled that admission to his table should be based on a credible profession, since the root of bitterness can’t always be seen until it grows.