17: The beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread would have taken place on Friday, the 3rd of April, A.D. 33, the 14th of Nisan in the Hebrew Calendar. This was referred to as the Day of Preparation. This day would have begun on the evening of Thursday by Jewish reckoning. Thus, this verse occurs on Thursday evening, the 2nd of April, and 13th of Nisan. Much debate has ensued over whether Jesus actually ate the Passover on this evening. Two things, however, can be stated with certainty if one takes the words of all the gospel writers literally. First, Jesus did eat the Passover meal with his disciples. Second, though it is unclear how this worked, some Jews ate the Passover when Jesus did, and some waited until Friday evening around the time that it became the 15th of Nisan.
The disciples new that the preparations made for this meal were somewhat elaborate, and wanted to know where they could find to make things ready.