Jesus on the Cross: A Timeline of the Crucifixion

　　How long was Jesus on the cross, what were the 7 last words of Jesus on the cross, and what happened during his last hours? We have the accounts of the crucifixion recorded in the Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The crucifixion and death Let's explore the historical timeline of Jesus' crucifixion, a significant event in Christian history. This article delves into the sequence of events from the early morning when Jesus was condemned to His final hours on the cross. Each key moment that Jesus experienced on the cross is accompanied by corresponding Scripture verses, providing a biblical perspective on this crucial day in Christian tradition.

　　By following the timeline of this significant day, we can gain a deeper understanding of the biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus and reflect on the last words spoken by Jesus as He hung on the cross, conveying His message of love, forgiveness, and salvation. His death on the cross is seen as the means by which humanity can be reconciled with God and have their sins forgiven, offering the gift of salvation.

Before 9:00 AM: Jesus on the Way to Golgotha

　　The Romans intended crucifixion to be

　　unspeakably cruelmercilessly lingering - men would often last a day or more on the crossinescapably public - again, to hinder any seditious impulse in the citizenrypublicly certifiable - the death had to occur visibly and undeniably on the cross so that the rumor would not get started that the seditionist had somehow survived and the rebellion should go on. Thus, crucifixion was always on a low hill outside the main city gate because a gate is a bottleneck - a person going into/out of the city must pass that way.

　　Jesus is forced to carry the horizontal piece of the cross to the place of execution, just outside the main gate on the north of the city of Jerusalem.

9:00 AM-Noon: The First Three Hours of Jesus the Cross (9:00 AM-Noon)

　　Jesus is crucified between two criminals. Sunlight remains. The soldiers gamble for Jesus's garments (in fulfillment of Psalms 22:18). The inscription, "King of the Jews" is affixed amid much scoffing. This inscription, according to the biblical account, was placed there by order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and was written in multiple languages, including Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

　　Jesus speaks three times:

　　to His heavenly Father on behalf of His tormentors: "Father, forgive them,"to the repentant thief: "Today you shall be with me in paradise,"to His mother and to John: "Woman, behold thy son."

Understanding the Meaning of Jesus' First Words From the Cross

"Father, forgive them."

　　Rather, the One who came to save, having Himself been forsaken by God in this moment (Mark 15:34), was found interceding for the souls that put Him there, pleading that they themselves would not also be found forsaken. Forgiveness - it's who Jesus is, it's what he taught, and why He came.

　　By interceding for His transgressors through this prayer, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that was foretold by Isaiah, hundreds of years prior. This prayer, from upon the cross particularly, would have been a confirmation of His identity to those awaiting their beloved messiah, as described by the prophets of God.