Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 14:12

"And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the passover, his disciples say unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and make ready that thou mayest eat the passover?" — Mark 14:12 (ASV)

Ordinarily “the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread” would mean the fifteenth of Nisan, the day following Passover. But the added description of the day—“when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb”—makes it clear that the fourteenth of Nisan is meant . The entire eightday celebration, including Passover, was sometimes referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The day of the week was Thursday. Jesus and his disciples were probably in Bethany (cf. v.13). Since the Passover had to be eaten within the walls of the city, the disciples asked Jesus where in Jerusalem they were to go to make preparation. There was no time to lose because the Passover meal had to be eaten between sundown and midnight.