Mark 14:12

τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τ. ἀζύμων. It is possible that here we have the beginning of the divergent chronology respecting the Passover, as given by the Synoptists on the one hand and by Jn on the other. The Synoptists, in a confused and not very consistent way, place the Paschal Supper on Thursday evening. Jn, with great precision and with complete consistency, places the Passover on Friday evening, when it and the Sabbath began simultaneously. The better course is to abide by the Johannine tradition and assume that our Lord, knowing that He could not have the Paschal Supper at the right time, held it a day in advance. It is incredible that the Sanhedrin sat during the Passover night to try Jesus, and that He was executed with the two robbers on the first day of the Feast. All four Evangelists place the Crucifixion on the day before the Sabbath, i.e. on Friday. The question is, which day was the 14th Nisan?

ἔθυον. Imperf. of customary action. The verb, like σφάζω (1 John 3:12; 1 Samuel 15:33), although often used of sacrifices, is not sacrificial in meaning (Luke 15:23; John 10:10; Acts 10:13). Here A.V. has “kill,” with “sacrifice” in the margin; in 1 Corinthians 5:7 it has “sacrifice,” with “slay” in the margin. In 1 Corinthians 10:20, “sacrifice” is required by the context.

Ποῦ θέλεις; The association of the Twelve with Jesus has become so close that none of them thinks of celebrating the Passover with his own family. Relations of some of them would come up to Jerusalem for the Feast. They were probably ignorant of our Lord’s intention of having a Paschal Supper before the time. Christ seems to have kept both time and place secret till the last. The treachery of Judas must not be allowed to act till the appointed hour had come, and no miracle was needed to effect this; careful precaution sufficed.