What Time Did Jesus Die? Unraveling the Hour Jesus Was Crucified

The Gospels do not tell the precise time of Jesus Christ’s death. However, by carefully examining the Gospel accounts and historical evidence, we can arrive at some estimates of the time of his death.

The Gospels and the time of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion

While all the Gospel accounts recount the events of Jesus’ sacrifice in slightly varying detail, only two Gospels mention the “hour” of the crucifixion: Mark 15:25 and John 19:14.

To the casual reader of the Gospel accounts, the exact time of the crucifixion may not seem very important. However, for opponents of biblical inerrancy, this issue can quickly become a bone of contention for the inerrancy of the entire Bible. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to familiarize ourselves with these relevant verses and evidence, for we must be “…ready to correct, rebuke, and encourage in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2). In this article, we will provide two logical answers to this dilemma.

When did Jesus Christ die?

As we have already learned, the two texts in question regarding the time of the crucifixion, Mark 15:25: “And it was the third hour that they crucified him,” and John 19:14: “And that day was the day of preparation for the Passover, And it’s almost six o’clock…

Mark was undoubtedly using the Jewish method of telling time, and we can infer that in Mark’s account, “the third hour…” generally means 9:00 a.m., but as noted earlier, the exact time could be highly variable and could even Reach as early as 7:30 am or as late as 10:30 am.

When we look at John’s account, bearing in mind that he is using Roman time, we find that “…the sixth hour…” means 6 in the morning, using the same “flexible tense” logic as in Mark’s account of Acts. Well, the time could have been anywhere between 4:30 AM and 7:30 AM. However, an earlier time is not possible because it is still night until sunrise. Taking these variables into account, the two time narratives match up well at 7:30 AM.

Furthermore, Mark 15:1 provides further supporting evidence by stating that “immediately, early in the morning… they bound Jesus Christ… and delivered him to Pilate.” The words “immediately, early in the morning…” indicate that the Jewish religious elite took Jesus to Pilate as soon as the sun rose.

The second answer to the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

While this answer resolves the alleged contradiction, another answer is equally plausible.

When we read John’s account, we see this sentence: “And that day was the day of preparation for the Passover, and about the sixth hour…” (John 19:14). John does not refer to the time of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, but rather to the time when Pilate brought him to the crowd, and in Roman times, the sixth hour is the same as 6 o’clock in the morning. It should also be noted that this happened immediately after the whipping by the soldiers.

From the trial of Jesus Christ before Pilate, which we know was called “the cobbled enclosure,” to Calvary, it is estimated to have been between one-half and three-quarters of a mile. He had to carry his cross at least part of the way.

Given Jesus’ injuries from repeated whippings, as well as the fact that he was suffering from lack of sleep, severe bleeding, and dehydration, his journey down Delorosa Street was tediously slow and full of mistakes, stumbles, There was more eating and probably more beatings. The time for him to reach that short distance was greatly aggravated by the sufferings he now endured.

An hour and a half to three hours of travel to Golgotha is realistic. This, considering the lack of exact time, is very consistent with Mark 15:25 “And it was the third hour that they crucified him.”

The most important point:

At the beginning of the discussion, I mentioned that we should be ready to defend any alleged contradictions and provide a defense for our beliefs. Many people in this life live without knowing Christ or actively resist Him, but the patient and loving explanations of a believer can help lead many to Him.

Today in the article : What Time Did Jesus Die? Unraveling the Hour Jesus Was Crucified 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