Holy Week: What happened on Thursday?

By Justin Taylor

With help from the ESV Study Bible, here’s an attempted harmony/chronology of the words and actions of Jesus in the final week of his pre-resurrection life.

Jesus instructs his Peter and John to secure a large upper room in a house in Jerusalem and to prepare for the Passover meal

Matthew 26:17-19

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying,

“Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

He said,

“Go into the city to a certain man and say to him,

‘The Teacher says,

My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”

And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him,

“Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

And he sent two of his disciples and said to them,

“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and 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?’

And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.