One question I've heard from borderline and new believers is how long Jesus was on the cross. Mark chapter 15 (NIV) answers this:
It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" (v. 25-30)
At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (v. 33-34)
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. (v. 37)
He was crucified the third hour and breathed His last at the ninth hour, so was six hours hanging on the cross.
As believers become more acquainted with the Gospels, a subsequent question that comes up is on Jesus words in Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The question is, "If the crucifixion was on Friday and Christ's resurrection on Sunday, that is two nights and three days; where is the extra night?"
The most common explanation is that "the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" is symbolic of the six hours Jesus was cut off from heaven bearing our sins on the cross: the third to the sixth hour are the three days and the sixth to the ninth hours of darkness are the three nights.
Nevertheless, I have heard another explanation by Reverend Chuck Swindoll, the president of Dallas theological seminary. The message was on "where is the missing night?" His explanation referred to Jewish tradition and a possible translational misinterpretation of how days were designated during the Passover. As nearly as I can recall, Dr. Swindoll referred to that the Jewish sabbath night is Friday. But the last two nights of Passover are also designated sabbath nights (the last supper being part of the Passover sabbath meal tradition), and possibly Jesus was crucified on a Thursday. With the supposition that Christ was buried in the evening, this would provide a literal interpretation of the three days and three nights. So our tradition of Good Friday may come from a minor misunderstanding when translating Hebrew tradition to the Roman or Greek interpretation of the time.
Since we know that the day of our Lord's birth is not certain, and we designate Christmas according to tradition, it is possible that designating good Friday is also traditional, rather than the specific Crucifixion day. If any brother or sister familiar with Jewish tradition can verify and shed further light on the Passover tradition, I would much appreciate your input.
Included in the aforementioned message were statements about how the times of day were then designated by the Jews. The first hour was what we know of as 6:00 a.m. and the last (twelfth) hour of the daytime was 6:00 p.m.. According to this, Jesus hung on the cross from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. It easily could be that the burial preparation of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took until the twelfth hour. (John 19:38-42)
Edit correction (open for comment):
In attempting to recollect the information heard over twelve years ago, I really blew it on the clock math. The third hour would be 8:00 a.m. and the twelfth hour 5:00 p.m., which would place Jesus on the cross from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..
Everyone who is interested in this topic, please post your thoughts!
Thanks and God bless you!
sister To Christ
It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" (v. 25-30)
At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (v. 33-34)
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. (v. 37)
He was crucified the third hour and breathed His last at the ninth hour, so was six hours hanging on the cross.
As believers become more acquainted with the Gospels, a subsequent question that comes up is on Jesus words in Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The question is, "If the crucifixion was on Friday and Christ's resurrection on Sunday, that is two nights and three days; where is the extra night?"
The most common explanation is that "the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" is symbolic of the six hours Jesus was cut off from heaven bearing our sins on the cross: the third to the sixth hour are the three days and the sixth to the ninth hours of darkness are the three nights.
Nevertheless, I have heard another explanation by Reverend Chuck Swindoll, the president of Dallas theological seminary. The message was on "where is the missing night?" His explanation referred to Jewish tradition and a possible translational misinterpretation of how days were designated during the Passover. As nearly as I can recall, Dr. Swindoll referred to that the Jewish sabbath night is Friday. But the last two nights of Passover are also designated sabbath nights (the last supper being part of the Passover sabbath meal tradition), and possibly Jesus was crucified on a Thursday. With the supposition that Christ was buried in the evening, this would provide a literal interpretation of the three days and three nights. So our tradition of Good Friday may come from a minor misunderstanding when translating Hebrew tradition to the Roman or Greek interpretation of the time.
Since we know that the day of our Lord's birth is not certain, and we designate Christmas according to tradition, it is possible that designating good Friday is also traditional, rather than the specific Crucifixion day. If any brother or sister familiar with Jewish tradition can verify and shed further light on the Passover tradition, I would much appreciate your input.
Included in the aforementioned message were statements about how the times of day were then designated by the Jews. The first hour was what we know of as 6:00 a.m. and the last (twelfth) hour of the daytime was 6:00 p.m.. According to this, Jesus hung on the cross from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. It easily could be that the burial preparation of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took until the twelfth hour. (John 19:38-42)
Edit correction (open for comment):
In attempting to recollect the information heard over twelve years ago, I really blew it on the clock math. The third hour would be 8:00 a.m. and the twelfth hour 5:00 p.m., which would place Jesus on the cross from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. Everyone who is interested in this topic, please post your thoughts!
Thanks and God bless you!
sister To Christ
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