How long was Jesus Christ on the cross? Maybe this question has involved your heart and mind. The answer to this question is not simple and is associated with many emotions. The death of Jesus is not a simple story and it is not easy to understand. It is almost impossible to read its narrative without getting upset and seeing the crucifixion scenes in movies like “The Passion of the Christ”. There has been much speculation as to whether movies or shows like The Passion of the Christ really adhere to the Bible.
None of these films can fully show what really happened two thousand years ago. However, I am still a fan of some of these movies and appreciate them for sharing the life of Jesus Christ with such faith and honesty.
1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9 also beautifully reminds us that human knowledge is very different from God’s infinite wisdom. However, through our faith and the intercession of the Holy Spirit, the truth is revealed to us. We praise God for his wisdom!
So when we seek insight by reading His Word or watching a movie about His life, we can always invite the Holy Spirit into that intimate time and let God reveal to us what we need to know.
According to the Gospels, it is said that Jesus endured on the cross for about six hours. However, John gives a different view of the timing of the events leading up to the crucifixion.
While the Bible is free from any mistakes and is the inspired word of God, it is important to mention that the “hour” in the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke refers to the Jewish time and in the account of John to the Roman time. It is also worth noting that at the time of Jesus Christ, hours were counted differently.
However, the truth is that each gospel has a unique view of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. However, they all provide useful and valuable information about the timeline of Jesus’ death to resurrection. With this in mind, I invite you to pray for God to know what you need and what wisdom you need to understand better.
Now with these interpretations, let’s take a deeper look into the personal narratives of each of the Gospel writers and gain insight into what might have happened on that dark and tragic day and how the time spent on that cross symbolizes the goodness of our God. .
Different Gospels and the time of Jesus’ crucifixion
Different Bibles give different accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, which has caused some to get confused about the exact time of this event. However, by examining each narrative more closely, we can gain a better understanding of this issue.
Matthew’s narration:
Matthew, the beloved disciple of Jesus, gives a profound account of the death of Jesus Christ and emphasizes its significance and purpose for heaven and earth.
According to Matthew’s narration in chapter 27 verse 45, darkness reigned over the earth from noon to three o’clock in the afternoon. In these three hours, we hear Jesus’ cry to God saying: “Eli, Eli, why are you ahead of me?” meaning “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew’s account of the events before the darkness does not specify the exact time. But considering that in chapter 27, verses 1-2, it is said that in the morning, the priests handed Jesus over to Pilate, and in verses 27-31, it is mentioned that he was stripped naked, covered with a purple robe, and put a crown of thorns on his head, many It is believed that Jesus was on the cross for a total of six hours.
Mark’s narration:
Mark, who was probably a teenager, gives his eyewitness account of Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice in a succinct and helpful way.
Mark’s account has similarities with the other Gospels regarding the crucifixion and its timing, but he writes briefly: “They crucified him” (Mark 15:24).
According to Mark’s account in chapter 15 verse 33, we can conclude that Jesus was on the cross for about six hours. In this verse, it is stated that the sixth hour, i.e. noon, darkness reigned over the earth and the ninth hour, i.e. three in the afternoon, was the time of Jesus’ death, but Jesus Christ has been on the cross since the third hour, which is equivalent to 9 am. (Mark 15:25). So, although Jewish time is a bit difficult to follow, it generally takes about six hours from the third hour (9am) to the ninth hour (3pm).
The Gospel of Luke and the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Luke, the author of the longest gospel, never knew Jesus personally. However, because of his background as a physician and his constant communication with others, he was able to hear first-hand stories about Jesus and became close friends with the apostle Paul. This helped him learn a lot about Jesus and become known as one of the greatest evangelists.
While Luke’s account of the crucifixion is based on what others have said, passion and emotion are evident in his words. This passion is evident when Luke shares more details about the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus. Luke recounts how one of the men mocked Jesus, while the other rebuked the man, saying that Jesus did not deserve this punishment and had done nothing wrong (Luke 23:39-41). Then he asks Jesus to remember him (Luke 23:42-43). Luke here shows compassion for sinners and Jesus’ mercy.
Luke 23:44 addresses the issue of time on the cross by pointing out that at the ninth hour, just as Matthew and Mark mentioned, the light turned into darkness.
Today in the article : How Many Hours Did Jesus Spend on the Cross? We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity
