S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Jesus was on the cross for about six hours. "The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 'He saved others,' they said, 'but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel!...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mike Dumais Supporter

Jesus was on the Cross for about 6 hours. Crucifixion usually would take 18-48 hours and bring death from suffocation or pulmonary edema. Jesus however was under increasing and extreme stress in the days leading to His death due to his foreknowledge. His Passion lasted 18-20 hours. He was arrested, bound and dragged through multiple court hearings overnight and beaten, tortured and tormented throughout the night. Further he was scourged to within an inch of his life hours prior to His crucifixion (we are healed by His stripes) under Pilates' orders in the hope that such a harsh beating would satiate the Jews and save His life. 

Jesus was a hardy specimen, unlike the slim and effeminate image we often see depicted. He grew up as a carpenter and builder, performing physically demanding work requiring the regular handling and manipulating of heavy materials and manually resistive tools. He would have been muscular and rugged with rock hard hands and feet.

He was no sissy. By the time of his death had walked the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe on hilly semi mountainous terrain traveling gravel, dirt and rock roads. He would normally have carried +/- 20lbs of supplies and water. His core would have been tight and strong and his gait erect, shoulders square. He would have had visibly strong legs and very noticeably defined forearms. His grip would be strong and his step would spring when walking on pavement like that at the Temple.

His only luxury item was an undershirt woven on an upright loom, so there were no seams, it was comfortable for the day as compared to those stitched together that were worn by most common folks. This is the reason the soldiers were rolling dice for his clothes, there was no easy way to divide it and it would lose it's value if cut apart.

January 01 2015 • 7 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Kenneth Heck Supporter

As discussed in the preceding answers, Jesus was on the cross for about six hours before he died, from about 9:AM to 3:PM.

It isn't quite clear how long his dead body remained on the cross before being taken down (John 19: 30-38) First, the soldiers came by after his death to break the legs of the three being crucified to hasten their death, but since Christ was already dead, one of the soldiers pierced his side to puncture his heart. The Jews had requested that the bodies should not be present on the crosses when the sabbath (a high sabbath) began, which should normally begin about 6:PM.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to take away the body of Jesus, since it was then known he had died; Pilate approved, so he removed the body from the cross in preparation for burial. These two events together may have taken perhaps up to an hour, bringing the total hours up to seven (a sacred number), but we can only speculate due to lack of evidence.

November 01 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Jesus was then hung between 2 convicted thieves and, according to the Gospel of Mark, died some 6 hours later.

According to Mark's Gospel, he endured the torment of crucifixion for some 6 hours from the 3rd hour, at approximately 9 am,(Mark 15:25) ] until his death at the 9th hour, corresponding to about 3 pm (Mark 15:34-37). So in Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the 3rd hour (9 a.m.) and Jesus' death at the 9th hour (3 p.m.)

In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with 2 rebels, and the sun goes dark or is obscured for the last 3 hours. Jesus calls out to God, then gives a shout and dies.

In Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the 3rd hour (9 a.m.) and Jesus' death at the 9th hour (3 p.m.) That being said, I’ve discovered that there is some disagreement here:

"Several scholars have argued that the modern precision of marking the time of day should not be read back into the gospel accounts, written at a time when no standardization of timepieces, or exact recording of hours and minutes was available, and time was often approximated to the closest three-hour period."

But I stubbornly hold to my 6 hour view, from 9a-3p.

June 09 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report