What time was Jesus Crucified? In the 3rd or in the 6th hour?

In order to place things chronologically, one must understand that not all the Gospel accounts are strictly chronological.  One must piece them together based on time clues provided in the verses. John was the last Gospel written and he is the most chronologically accurate, followed by Mark.  Matthew and Luke are more topical than chronologically accurate. John tends to cover mostly details that were not adequately addressed or were left out of the other Gospels. Some examples of this are the instances of Jesus going into the Temple, the cursing of the fig tree, and the anointing of Jesus by Mary.

On 31 March AD 33 (11 Nisan), Tuesday sometime in the morning, Jesus was going to the city of Jerusalem from Bethany. Mark tells us specifically of the time of the event (Mark 11:12-14) in the morning of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into the city, which happened on 10 Nisan. We assume that from the morning, Jesus spent considerable time in the temple this day teaching and healing. On the way from Bethany, Jesus curses the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14). It reminds him of the plight of Israel and he then weeps over the city (Luke 19:45-48).  He then goes on to cleanse the temple.  “When even was come, he went out of the city” (Mark 11:19).  Mark tells us, the next morning while on the way into the city from Bethany, Peter notices the cursed fig tree has withered (Mark 11:20-21). Mark provided chronological markers, whereas Matthew was merely recalling important events or concepts.

So why is all this discussion about days and times? Time markers in scripture are very important or you may just gloss over them and miss deep and profound truths. Also, to piece all the scriptural evidence together, you must have a basis. To understand all this, we have attached a timeline showing Jesus’ last day. The Hebrew day ran from 6 p.m. in the evening until 6 p.m. the next day. The beginning of the day was actually the night-time, with four watches of 3 hours each which took them from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The daylight hours were broken out into two mornings (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.).  At noon, the sun would reach its apex and then begin to even or set in the second half of the daylight hours. That part of the day was called the evening and it was divided into two evenings (noon to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Then at 6 p.m., at evening, when the sun evened with the horizon, the Hebrew day would change again, starting a new day.

So let us practice using this basis. On Friday, 8 Nisan, was the Sabbath and Jesus could not travel.  At 6 p.m. on Saturday, the Sabbath ended and it became 9 Nisan.  He could now travel without violating the Law, but it was dark now. Jesus spent the night-time hours of 9 Nisan (first half of the day) at the home of Zacchaeus near Jericho on the way to Bethany (Luke 19:1-9).   The next morning, during the daylight hours of 9 Nisan, Jesus traveled to Bethany where he went to Lazarus’ house (possibly also known as Simon the Leper’s home). This would line up with John’s statement “six days before Passover”.  Passover was to start just after evening

(6 p.m.) on 15 Nisan, (Lev. 23:6, Exodus 12:17). 14 Nisan is the day of preparation and it is also the day Jesus died.  After you have a solid understanding of the Hebrew day, it becomes easier to specifically answer your question.

Look at the attached Hebrew Day Jesus Last Day. Note that based upon the Jewish Law, there were two daily sacrifices of a lamb, one at the third hour, and one at the ninth hour.  “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning [9 a.m.] ….” (Exodus 29:38-9) Scripture tells us exactly when he was put on the cross, “And it was the third hour [9 a.m.], and they crucified him.” (Mark 15:25).  So Jesus was hung on the cross at the same time as the sacrifice of the first Lamb of the daily sacrifice.  The third hour of the daylight hours.

“Now from the sixth hour (12 p.m.) there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour

(3 p.m.).  “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually… the other lamb thou shalt offer at even (3 p.m.):” (Exodus 29:38-9)

At what time does Jesus say these words:  “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  Before 9th hour or after 9th hour?

To answer your question, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:45-46, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49).  “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, ‘It is finished’: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30, Matt. 27:50).  Scripture is specific here, Jesus hung on the cross for 6 hours. At the same time the Lamb of the second daily sacrifice was being killed at 3 p.m., Jesus also died, just at about 3 p.m. on 14 Nissan. Those are the facts we have. He as a perfect man, bore our sins in our place, he became the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world, fulfilling the requirement of the sacrifice of the two lambs each day. But there is more.

Note that also between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on this day of preparation, 14 Nisan, the Jews would have also been killing a separate lamb, the Passover Lamb, to begin roasting it for Passover which would begin just after 6 p.m., the beginning of 15 Nisan. “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S Passover” (Lev. 23:5),  “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8).  “That night”, would be 15 Nisan, which was also the beginning of the Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and also happened to be the start of a regular Jewish Sabbath day.

The Lamb of God, representing all three sacrifices of the lambs, were on one day.

 

Be a Sarah

Age does not matter

Trust and believe that all things are possible in God’s perfect timing and seasons.

Be a Rebekah

Never forget that the true beauty is within

Draw all your loved ones closer to God through your Christ-like character

Be a Rahab

Whatever the conditions or circumstances. Believe in the Power of God’s Word, give your best to Him and he will remember you and your household

Be a Ruth

Loyal in all your relationships, walk the extra mile, and don’t quit when it gets tough and someday you will see why it is worth the effort

Be a Hannah

Never cease to pray, it will never be in vain

Be a Abigail

Remember each decision can turn your life around for good or bad.  Be wise.

Be a Esther

Bold and courageous to stand for truth, voice your opinions, fight for the good of others even if it means to sacrifice yourself.  If God had put you in a position for a purpose. Never be afraid to heed your inner voice.

Be a Mary

Humble and submissive, you don’t have to do great things for God to use you.  You only need to obey.

Be an Elizabeth

Never doubt what God can do, He is the God of many miracles

Be a Mary Magdalene

Never let mistakes or judgment of other people stop you from experiencing the joy of God.

Be a Lydia

Let your homes be open, let your hands be generous, let your heart be big enough to help anyone in need.  Joy is the greatest when shared.

He is risen!

And he is satisfied, as he sees the unfolding of the Father’s plan, first in the development of the called-out ones, and then in the blessing of Israel and all the families of the earth.  Isaiah 53:11-12

Oh, what the faithfulness and resurrection of our Lord means to us and to every human life!

Our hope is LIVING, and the end result of our Blessing is sure!  This LIVING HOPE is similar to the joy set before him, Hebrews 12:2,  which is also the joy (and hope) set before us!  “…we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the HOPE SET BEFORE US.   This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrews 6:18-20!!!

This LIVING HOPE will bear the fruit of the expectation, first in the heavenly inheritance according to His promise, part of the LIVING JOY set before us!

Until that final reward this LIVING HOPE is protected, by the process of our own protection through the power of God.  Another aspect of the LIVING JOY set before us is our present inheritance of protection and strength under Divine Loving Providence.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth (begettal) into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5

This LIVING HOPE provides the fiery trials that we experience for a short time, for the refinement of our faith.  The result will be glory to the Father and the Son. There is LIVING JOY in this process of refinement because it leads to our growth to their glory.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  1 Peter 1:6-7

This LIVING HOPE gives us a great depth of joy, another part of the hope and joy set before us, with the ultimate result of the deliverance of all in Adam.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of souls.”  1 Peter 1:8-9

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

In  Zechariah 3:1:  (1)  Is Joshua the high priest and Joshua who led the Israelites to subdue the promised land the same?   (2)  How did the Joshua in Zechariah became the high priest to the Israelite people?  (3)  What is the name of the angel standing before the Lord in Zech 3:4?  (4)  So many years back Joshua (successor to Moses) died – how did Zechariah recognize Joshua?

The Joshua mentioned in Zechariah is not the Joshua, who led the Israelites into the promised land in the book of Joshua.  Joshua, the successor to Moses, was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:22, 26-27), grandson of Ammihud, great-grandson of Elishama.  As such, he was not a Levite and therefore could not have ever been a high priest.  Zechariah would have known Jewish history that would include Moses and Joshua.  However, recall from the Israelite leader Joshua to the time of Darius in which Zechariah wrote this (Zech. 1:1) was about 1000 years (from the division of the land, the time of the judges, the time of the Jewish kings, the 70 years of desolation after the Babylonian captivity, etc).  It would be utterly impossible for this to be that Joshua.

The verses in Zechariah Chapter 3 are meant to be an encouragement to Israel and are full of prophetic metaphor and symbolism and were evidently a vision. The name Joshua signifies “Savior” in Hebrew and in the Greek “Jesus.” Just as this Joshua is a high priest, he is a picture of the Church, the body of the spiritual high priest, Jesus. Thus the angel standing before the LORD is Jesus. Satan of course is the accuser, whereas Jesus is our advocate and is the head or high priest of the Church which is his body. Jerusalem in verse 2 is the Kingdom of God of fleshly Israel among mankind and specifically represents spiritual Israel, the Church (Rev 3:12, 21:2). Both God and Jesus has chosen it (the Church).

In this picture, Joshua represents the Church, the body of Christ. We know this because in the picture, God and Jesus (the angel) are present. The filthy rags show that Joshua represents a human class and is from the fallen race of Adam (Isaiah 64:6), whereas Jesus was not.  If Joshua represented only Jesus, he would not have worn rags as he was a perfect human (Psalms 37:37; Eph. 4:13), not of the seed of man, but blameless and without sin. Also, Satan would not be standing ready to accuse one who is without sin as he would have no basis in justice to do so.

In verse 4, the iniquity is taken away and the Church is clothed with new raiment, picturing the covering of our sins with the robe of Christ’s righteousness while in the flesh (Matt. 22:11).  It also reminds us that we will be given a resurrection to a new spirit nature. Joshua the high priest is also given a turban or mitre, like a crown representing victory, righteousness, and life

(1 Cor. 9:25, 2 Tim. 4:8, James 1:12, Rev. 2:10, Rev. 3:11).  If we are faithful as Joshua was told, we will judge angels and man (1 Cor. 6:2-3) as part of Christ’s body.

We are reminded that God has brought forth a branch from the line of David, our Lord and Savior Jesus (this part of the prophecy fulfilled).  Zechariah 3:9 reminds us that God lays a stone before us (Isa. 28:16).  Jesus is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). The stone cut out without hands (Dan 2:34). This stone, Jesus, has seven eyes showing perfect divine wisdom and he shall oversee the engraving of his character and law upon the living stones of the Church, the Body of Christ in the Gospel age.  It will also be the case for all mankind in the one day (2 Pet. 3:8), the millennial day, the 1000 year Kingdom of God on earth.  In that day, everyone will be at peace and on earth they will be sustained by the restored and perfected Eden of earth (Micah 4:4).

As you can see, it is a prophecy and an encouragement to Israel, mankind, and the Church.