Mark 14:15
And he will shew you a large vpper roome furnished, and prepared: there make ready for vs. Mark 14:15 (KJV)
and
prepared: there make ready for us. Mark 14:15 (KJV)
This verse belongs to the narrative of Jesus’ final Passover meal with His disciples, commonly called the Last Supper. In the surrounding passages (Mark 14:12‑16, Matthew 26:17‑19, Luke 22:7‑13) Jesus sends the disciples into Jerusalem to find a suitable place where they can observe the Passover together. The instruction to seek “a large upper room furnished and prepared” indicates that a suitable setting had already been arranged, reflecting Jesus’ divine foreknowledge and planning even as He approached betrayal and crucifixion.
The Passover was a central Jewish festival commemorating Israel’s liberation from Egyptian bondage. Its observance involved the sacrifice of a lamb, the eating of unleavened bread, and other rites that symbolized redemption and freedom. During this Passover meal, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, establishing a new covenant in His blood that believers continue to remember for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus’ directive, “there make ready for us,” placed the responsibility on the disciples to prepare the room for the Passover observance. This underscores two key biblical principles: first, the importance of obedience to God’s guidance, and second, the necessity of preparation in fulfilling divine purposes. By following Jesus’ instructions, the disciples demonstrated readiness to participate in the pivotal moment when the old covenant would give way to the new.
The mention of an “upper room” aligns with early Christian tradition, which holds that the Last Supper and later gatherings of the disciples occurred in such a location (cf. Acts 1:13). While the exact phrasing of a “large upper room furnished and prepared” is not found verbatim in the King James Version, the concept reflects the Gospel writers’ portrayal of Jesus arranging a suitable place for the sacred meal. This passage therefore invites believers to trust in Christ’s sovereign provision, to obey His leading, and to cherish the communion instituted at the Passover as a perpetual reminder of His sacrificial love.
