37] The Time of Christ’s Death...What It Reveals

As a sign of His Messiahship, Jesus Christ told the scribes and Pharisees that as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish so He would be three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:40).  And so Christ died, was buried and remained in the grave three days and three nights, a total of some 72 hours.

It goes without saying Jesus Christ died. The reality of the death of Jesus Christ is at the very heart and core of the Christian faith, of the gospel message (I Corinthians 15:3-4, Luke 24:46-47, Revelation 1:5). Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (I Timothy 1:15) and the first necessary step in the process of salvation is to acknowledge that the death of Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for sins (Romans 5:6-8), in place of your required death as a consequence of your own personal sins (Roman 6:23).

Just when did He die? Was the timing of Christ’s death important or a requisite, a fulfillment of scriptures? Was it necessary for Christ to die at a specific time? Was the time Christ died capricious or happenstance or was it carefully and systematically arranged to occur at the precise, right time? Did God the Father make it painstakingly certain that the time of His Son’s death, as the sacrifice given for all humanity, occur exactly when He arranged? Did the Father authenticate the events that gave witness to the time Christ died?

It is necessary to understand and we can know with certainty the time of death of our Savior Jesus Christ. That understanding is part of the gospel message. The Scriptures reveal that Jesus Christ died on the 14^th day of the first month at the same time the Passover Lamb was sacrificed in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Christ’s death coinciding with the Passover sacrifice authenticates and provides a clear witness of the plan of salvation; providing a witness to the certainty, that Jesus is the Messiah and the redeemer of the world.

Understanding the fact that Christ’s death coincided with the Passover sacrifice is necessarily important to the House of Judah (the Jews today). The Passover is central to Jewish belief. To teach that Jesus, the Messiah is the fulfillment (the reality) of the symbolic Passover of the Lord (Exodus 12) is necessary for them to hear and they will one day know it.

Each year when the church observes the (as called Christian Passover) New Covenant Memorial Service, the Lord’s Supper, we confirm the time element of events as they occurred in 31 AD. We do show the Lord’s death until he comes. After Christ returns, the truth of when he died, on what day, and at what time He died will be made known to the world. When Christ returns, we will no longer have to show or give witness to in defense of the truth. There will be no more confusion.

Prophecy is clear, explaining that the Jews will come to understand the One they call God, The Lord, Yahweh (be it said - ha Shem or Adonai), the one who is their God, the God of the Old Testament, the God of Israel, the God of the Hebrews, the Creator, is the one and the same Jesus Christ. And I will pour upon the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication. They will look upon me, the one they have pierced and they will  mourn for him as one who mourns for his only son and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son (Zechariah 12:10).

The house of Judah and the House of Israel along with the gentiles will finally learn that Jesus Christ (Emmanuel) died, was pierced; was sacrificed. He died at a specific time and the Scriptures tell us when. They will know the scriptures spoke the truth.

At that time, proverbially speaking, the scholars will shut their mouths.

To review what we have learned so far: shortly after the sun had set on the 13^th day of the first month and the night, the beginning of the 14^th day was commencing, Jesus Christ sat down to eat a meal with His disciples. 

As the night progressed, Jesus Christ washed His disciple’s feet; He introduced the symbols of the New Covenant.

As that 14^th day, called in Scriptures the day of preparation of the Passover proceeded, the night passed, the morning passed until finally during the afternoon, early evening (the first evening Matthew 14:15) of the 14^th, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed in the Temple. The Passover lamb was sacrificed, between the evenings of the 14^th day, as the Old Testament law requires.

The 14^th day of the first month is given the name Passover Day by virtue of the fact that the Passover Lamb was sacrificed on that day “at even” (between the evenings as the Hebrew ben ha arbayim correctly translates into the English) (Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 23:5).

The Scriptures make it clear that Jesus Christ died on the Passover/Preparation day and at the time the Passover Lamb for Judah was slain in the Temple.

The Father arranged this timing in order to demonstrate that His Son is the ultimate and final Passover Lamb. The Old Testament Passover sacrifices as performed year after year were only a type, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

When writing about the last day of Christ’s physical life, Matthew, Mark and Luke all reference specific hours at which time certain events occurred on that preparation day.

Matthew refers to the 6^th hour (Matthew 27:45) and the 9^th hour (Matthew 27:45 and 46). Christ died at the 9^th hour. Matthew then references the evening of the day (Matthew 27:57) when Christ was placed in the tomb (vs. 60). Then notice Matthew writes (vs.62): Now the next day, that followed the day of preparation ….

Mark specifies the 3^rd hour (Mark 15:25), the 6^th hour (Mark 15:33) and the 9^th hour (Mark 15:33 and 34). Then continuing in chronological sequence, the evening of the preparation day – before the Sabbath (Holy Day) (Mark 15:42).  

Luke refers to the 6^th and the 9^th hour (Luke 23:44). Luke comments that the events that took place, Christ’s death, being taken down from the stake and placed in the tomb, all took place on the day called the preparation (Luke 23:54) as the Sabbath which was a High or Holy Day (John 19:31) drew on, was coming closer to commencing.

These men established a “time element” as it related to the time Christ was placed on the stake until the time He died, which was at the 9^th hour. The 9^th hour was significant as we shall see.                                                                 

Before the advent of the clock and the utilization of the 24 hour time period, man kept time by utilizing a sun dial or recognizing the position of the sun in the sky. Consider II Kings 20:11 and Isaiah 38:8 in which we read of the sun dial of Ahaz (some scholars call this the steps of Ahaz). Here we read that Ancient Israel utilized the technology and science of their day – a time measuring device. This device, enhanced and developed as time progressed, so that in Christ’s day, specific hours were logically and categorically known.

Not only the nation of Israel, but as well the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese all utilized the technology of their day to aid in their ability to know the time of  day.

As we read earlier in Part I of this study, Matthew wrote (Matthew 20:1-12) of the hours between the early morning (rising of the sun) and the evening (setting of the sun). Matthew recorded Christ’s parable, exposing the reality that there are 12 hours of light in the day.

Within Matthew 20:1-8 specific hours are given name. We read of the third, the sixth, the ninth, and the eleventh hour. A quick review of time keeping methods as reckoned in the 1^st Century would teach us that the 3^rd hour of the day corresponds to our 9:00 am (in the morning – notice Acts 2:15). The 6^th hour of the day corresponds to our noontime or called midday. The 9^th hour of the day corresponds to our 3:00 pm (in the afternoon) and the 11^th hour of the days corresponds to our 5:00 pm.

One aspect to consider when studying the Word of God is the fact that the New Testament was not written to us today. It was written to those who lived in the 1^st Century, specifically. It was a 1^st Century audience for whom the words were written. Consequently, the writers expected their audience to know what was being said and the meaning of the words expressed as those words were given definition by a 1^st Century frame of mind.  Even though the New Testament was not written to us today, it was preserved for us today in the 21^st Century.

Consequently, to understand the events that took place back then, in the 1^st Century, we must have an understanding of the language and culture, and meaning of events as they occurred back then. We should have an awareness of cultural context in order to truly understand the events that occurred. We should understand their concepts of things and their meanings of things.

So the question would be - what is the 9^th hour? When did it occur and why is it significant?

Let us continue.

In Acts 3:1, we read of the ninth hour at the temple, which was the hour of prayer, the time of the evening sacrifice. Read Acts 3:2 thru Acts 4:2 relating to the events that transpired from the first evening, the ninth hour until some 3 hours later the second evening as we read in Acts 4:3. We read that after Peter and John spoke their words, they were put in hold (custody) until the next day because it was now evening (eventide KJV) the 12^th hour as conferred by Matthew 20:8-12.

Remember Jewish Law required that no court could convene after the evening of a day, in the nighttime of the day. This is another reason why Christ’s judgment was performed illegally and how hurried the Council was, to have Christ crucified quickly – before the people could realize what was going on.

Notice the time elements revealed in Acts. More importantly, the ninth hour was a special time in the temple. The time of the evening prayer is association with the temple sacrifices.

Notice the following Scriptures: I Kings 18:36 referring to the evening sacrifice (relating to verse 29, midday was past and they, Baal’s priest, prophesied until the time of the evening sacrifice).

Daniel 9:21 refers to the evening oblation (sacrifices).

The following verses all refer to the morning and the evening sacrifice time – I Chronicles 16:40, II Chronicles 2:4 and 31:3; Ezra 3:3 and Ezra 9:4-5.

Of course, we read in Exodus 29:39 and Numbers 28:4 about the morning and the evening sacrifice. These verses all refer to the evening sacrifice time or as called ben ha arbayim (between the evenings) in the original Hebrew text. Sacrificial activity took place in the Temple during this evening sacrifice time.