This series of posts considers, in detail, the gospel reading from Mark for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. This is the fourth post in the series.

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14 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 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 

Mark’s description of the timing of the events is not clear. This chapter of the Gospel opens with a precise designation of time, two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread (v. 1). The next series of events is introduced as occurring on “the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb.” (v. 12). These references cause some confusion. Mark presumably intends “Unleavened Bread” as an alternative designation for Passover (cf. Luke 22:1; 2 Chr 35:17). Or Mark may have followed the older tradition in which “Unleavened Bread” was the designation for the seven-day period following the celebration of the Passover meal on 15 Nisan, during which nothing made with leaven could be eaten (Exod 12:8–20). In either case, Mark’s assertion that the preparations for the meal were made on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread is inaccurate.

Are there indications in the text that what Mark intends to describe is the Passover Meal? William Lane [Gospel of Mark, 498; note “M.” indicates Mishna] offers:

“There are a number of positive elements in the Marcan narrative which substantiate that the Last Supper was a Passover meal. The return to Jerusalem in the evening for the meal (Ch. 14:17) is significant, for the paschal meal had to be eaten within the city walls (M. Pesachim VII. 9). An ordinary meal was taken in the late afternoon, but a meal which begins in the evening and continues into the night reflects Passover practice (Exod. 12:8; Jubilees 49:12). The reference to reclining (Ch. 14:18) satisfies a requirement of the Passover feast in the first century when custom demanded that even the poorest man recline for the festive meal (M. Pesachim X.1). While a normal meal began with the breaking of bread, on this occasion Jesus broke the bread during the meal and following the serving of a dish (Ch. 14:18–20, 22). The Passover meal was the one occasion when the serving of a dish preceded the breaking of bread. The use of wine was generally reserved for festive occasions and was characteristic of the Passover (M. Pesachim X.1). Finally, the interpretation of the elements of the meal conforms to Passover custom where the haggadah (or interpretation) is an integral part of the meal. The cumulative evidence supports the claim made in verses 12, 14 and 16 that the disciples prepared a Passover meal and that the external forms of the Passover were observed at the meal itself.”

The episode of the preparation of the paschal meal is parallel in structure to Mark 11:1–7. The commissioning of two disciples for the performance of a task, the precise knowledge of what they would encounter, and the exact response to be given to the responsible party are features familiar from the earlier account. The two incidents are entirely independent but they have been described according to a common scheme.

Clearly, as with the colt, Jesus’ instructions indicate that the divine Hand is directing the events. What is often overlooked is the moniker “Teacher” and “disciples.” From what we know of 1st century Passover celebrations (and that is from a late 2nd century Jewish document (Mishna)), the celebration was primarily between family members. Jesus will celebrate as a teacher. Given the disciples were all observant Jews, it is not too far a stretch to imagine that Jesus intends to teach something new associated with this Passover observance.

There is one odd element to the pericope: “a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water.” Ordinarily only women would carry the water jar; a man might carry a wineskin. Perhaps it is nothing, or perhaps it is a prearranged signal. Since the authorities are looking to arrest Jesus, this might be resorting to a means of recognition which would require no exchange of words in the street. Along this same line of thought, the person providing the room might also want to limit the knowledge that the Galilean preacher would celebrate Passover in his upper room.

Sources

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974) 597-99

Pheme Perkins, The Gospel of Mark, vol. 8 of The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville, TN: Abington Press,1994) 8:701

The New American Bible available on-line at http://www.usccb.org/bible