14:12–21 These verses tell of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples and of Jesus’ foreknowledge of Judas’ treachery. The overall purpose of the narrative is to dramatize that the one who betrayed Jesus was actually a disciple who shared Jesus’ company and ate with him. Mark probably saw in this account an allusion to Psalm 41:9–10 (which is cited specifically in John 13:18).

The fact that the disciples were not given a name or an address in order to comply with Jesus’ request, but were sent to look for a man fitting a particular description (vv. 12–16, and see note) suggests that previous secret arrangements had been made. Such secrecy may have been required because Jesus knew that the authorities were looking for an opportunity to arrest him away from th…