Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
The pilgrims to the Passover suppose that Jesus will not attempt coming because of the chief priests and the Pharisees and those enemies of Jesus thought that if He did come, He would be in hiding, but Jesus surprises them by coming openly to Bethany, and yet His coming was such that they could not take Him. Jesus arrived in Bethany probably on the Friday afternoon before the Passover. McGarvey, among others, thinks it was on March 31, A.D. 30. The meal probably came on Saturday evening after sunset, which would have made it on their Sunday and thus after the Sabbath.