A) HOW LONG ON THE CROSS?

B) BIBLICAL TIME.

C) STATEMENTS OF OUR LORD UPON THE CROSS.

D) OUR LORD WAS DECLARED “INNOCENT.”

E) CHARTED OUT.

 

 

A) HOW LONG ON THE CROSS

 

 

Mark 15:25:  “And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.”

Matthew 27:45:  “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”

Matthew 27:46:  “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?”  Note:  Quoting Psalm 22:1.

 

This Would Total 6 Hours.

 

 

B) BIBLICAL TIME

 

 

Jewish hours always work as if 6:00 A.M. is equal to Zero hour.  Therefore:

 

The “third hour” in today’s time, our time, would be 9:00 A.M.

The “sixth hour” would then be 12:00 (noon) P.M.

The “ninth hour” would be 3:00 P.M.

 

 

C) STATEMENTS OF OUR LORD UPON THE CROSS

 

 

1) Luke 23:34:  “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.”

2) Luke 23:43:  “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”

3) John 19:26-27:  “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy Son!  “Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

4) Matthew 27:46:  “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?”  (Quoting Psa. 22:1; See also Mark 15:34).

5) John 19:28:  “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

6) John 19:30:  “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.”

7) Luke 23:46:  “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit(Quoting Psa. 31:5; this Psalm being about Christ on the cross):  and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.”  (This most likely is Matthew 27:50 and Mark 15:37’s statement).

8) Matthew 27:50:  “Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” & Mark 15:37:  “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”  Both equaling Luke 23:46 “again” = “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.”

 

 

D) OUR LORD WAS DECLARED “INNOCENT” (By Others, Other Than Himself)

 

 

1) By Judas:  Matthew 27:4:  “Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”

2) By Pilot’s Wife:  Matthew 27:19:  “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just Man:  for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him.”

3) By Pilot:  Matthew 27:24:  “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just Person:  see ye to it.”

4 & 5) By Pilot 3 times according to Luke 23:22:  “And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath He done?  I have found no cause of death in Him:  I will therefore chastise Him, and let Him go.”

6) By the thief on the cross:  Luke 23:40-41:  “(40) But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  (41) And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds:  but This Man hath done nothing amiss.”

7) By the Roman Centurion:  Luke 23:47:  “Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly This was a righteous Man.”

 

 

E) CHARTED OUT

 

 

From the “third hour” to the “ninth hour,” or 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. is 6 hours.

If we add in Joseph of Arimathaea, going to Pilot (Mark 15:43) to request the body of Jesus, and to acquire a small contingent of soldiers, and to remove the body, we can add one more hour for our Lord being upon the cross; especially since the Sabbath had not yet arrived.

 

Thus, Jesus was SEVEN hours upon the cross, and made SEVEN (or eight) recorded statements, and was declared “innocent” SEVEN times.

 

What is interesting to note is that our Lord was SIX hours (working) alive one the cross and ONE (Sabbath) hour resting on the cross.