The death of Jesus Christ is a significant event within the Christian faith and one that has been studied for centuries. As part of the Easter story, Jesus’ death and resurrection are fundamental to Christianity, as these events celebrate His ultimate sacrifice for humanity’s sins. Understanding when Christ died is important for us to comprehend how this momentous event unfolded.
The Bible does not provide a clear answer as to when Jesus died, as it only refers to the events that led up to His death and the days following. However, biblical scholars have studied the gospel accounts to approximate the timeline of these momentous events.
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When Did Jesus Die?
The exact date of Jesus’ death is unknown, but it is generally believed that He died in the spring around AD 30 or 33. The Bible does not provide an exact date for his death, but Matthew 27:45–56 and Mark 15:33–41 indicate that Christ’s crucifixion falls on a Friday near Passover.
According to Luke 23:44–46, this would have been at approximately 3 p.m. Some scholars believe that Jesus actually died on April 7th, AD 30, based on calculations from John 19:14 and other scriptures. However, this is only speculation, and there is no way to know for sure when he died.
Several events took place leading up to Jesus’ passing. According to the Gospels, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, tried by the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, and condemned to be crucified. He was then flogged and forced to carry His cross to Golgotha (the place of the skull), where He was crucified between two criminals.
The crucifixion is described in all four gospels, with certain details being different or omitted from each account. Matthew 27:31 states that “After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” Mark 15:24–25 says, “And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.”
On What Day Did Jesus Die?
The Bible gives us the answer to this question, as the death of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus was crucified on a Friday; Luke and John also attest to this. The crucifixion began at nine o’clock in the morning (Mark 15:25) and ended three hours later when Jesus released His spirit (John 19:30).
This day has been given various names over time, depending on religious traditions. In Western Christianity, it’s referred to as “Good Friday” as it marks the day of Jesus’ death, which led to his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Other religions use various terms, such as the Great Sabbath, Preparation Day, or the Great and Holy Friday. The crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most important events in Christianity, and understanding what day it occurred helps to explain the significance and symbolism behind other Christian holidays.
For example, Good Friday is part of the Triduum celebration, which is a three-day period leading up to Easter Sunday. This special time marks Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and commemorates God’s sacrifice for humanity’s salvation.
As such, Christians around the world celebrate this time with solemn prayer services on Good Friday that remember Jesus’ final hours on Earth before his death and resurrection. The timing of Jesus’ passing was also fulfilled by prophecies found in both the Old and New Testaments.
What Time Did Jesus Die?
The exact time of Jesus’ death is unknown. However, it can be accurately estimated based on biblical records. According to the Bible, Jesus died around 3 p.m., known as “the ninth hour” in Jewish tradition, which was approximately the time of the afternoon sacrifice in Jerusalem (Mark 15:25). The ninth hour would have been between 12 and 3 p.m. depending on when sunrise began that day.
It is also vital to note that during the Passover season, Jews kept a special form of time known as “halachic” or “rabbinical” hours. This type of hour divided the daylight into 12 equal parts, meaning a period from noon to one o’clock was considered two hours instead of one. The Bible states that Jesus hung on the cross from the third hour until the ninth hour. During this time, He suffered many physical atrocities and verbal insults.
Mark 15:33–34 reads, “At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon, Jesus called out in a loud voice.” This suggests that by 3 p.m., Jesus had died after having been on the cross for six hours.
In Luke 23:44–45, it is written that at midday, darkness fell over all of Judea and continued until 3 p.m., when Jesus died and breathed his last breath. We can therefore assume that he died at 3 p.m. Though we cannot be certain, it is likely that Jesus was on the cross from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and died sometime during those hours.
What Year Did Jesus Die?
According to the New Testament, Jesus was executed by crucifixion in Jerusalem on Passover in AD 30 or 33. The exact year of his death is unknown because the Bible does not provide us with a precise date for the event. In the Bible, the prophet Daniel mentions that “seventy weeks are determined” before the “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself” (Daniel 9:26).
This passage has been interpreted to mean that Jesus would die after 490 years from “the going forth of the commandment.” Various scholars have tried to pinpoint when this commandment occurred and suggest dates, such as 454 BC or 445–444 BC. Using these calculations, it has been proposed that Jesus died in 30 or 33 AD. In addition, Luke 3:1–2 states that John the Baptist began his ministry “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.”
This chronology would point to an approximate date of 28 or 29 AD for Jesus’ crucifixion. According to the Gospel of John (19:14), this was during Passover, which occurs at different times depending on the year and lunar cycle.
Therefore, it is suggested that Jesus died between 26 and 36 AD. The Bible does not provide a concrete answer as to when exactly Jesus died, but scholars have given various dates based on biblical evidence and historical records. The most widely accepted date is between 30 and 33 AD.
How Old Was Jesus When He Died?
Jesus was approximately 33 years old when He died, according to the traditional timeline of His life as described in Christian scripture. The Bible does not provide an exact date for Jesus’ death, but by combining historical records with Biblical accounts, scholars have concluded that Jesus likely died between April 7th and April 11th in the year AD 30.
The account of Jesus’ life given in the New Testament paints a picture of a man who began teaching around age thirty and worked tirelessly for the next three years spreading His message throughout Israel and beyond. His teachings were seen as revolutionary by both rabbis and religious authorities alike, making him a target of their anger and eventually leading to His crucifixion.
Scholars often use clues from the Bible, such as the length of Jesus’ ministry and the timing of Passover, to calculate when He died. The Gospel of Luke states that during His “thirtieth year” (Luke 3:23), Jesus began preaching, which would place His birth around 4 BC on our modern calendar. If this timeline is correct, then Jesus was 33 at the time of his death in AD 30.
The context of Jesus’ life within Jewish culture also provides evidence for a date range spanning between 29 and 33 A.D. In Judaism, men were considered adults once they turned thirteen and eligible to be married by twenty years old—both facts that align with a thirty-three-year-old man in 1st-century Jewish society.
Significant Events After Jesus Died
After Jesus’ death, several significant events impacted Christianity and the world. The first event was Pentecost[1], which occurred fifty days after the death of Jesus. This event marked the Christian Church’s beginning, as recorded in Acts chapter two.
On this day, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, and they spoke in tongues to spread God’s message to a diverse audience. This miraculous experience helped launch the new faith of Christianity into what would become a religion followed by millions worldwide today.
The second significant event is when Peter proclaimed to Cornelius that “God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34–35). This declaration was monumental because it showed that anyone from any nation or background could receive God’s grace and become part of His family. This marked a crucial shift in Christianity, as it opened the door for many people to join regardless of their heritage or ethnicity.
Another significant event was Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. Saul, later known as Paul, was zealously persecuting Christians when he encountered Jesus and was converted on the spot (Acts 9:1–19).
This experience gave him a personal understanding of Christ’s power, leading him to become a fierce advocate for the gospel message. He would go on to write much of the New Testament epistles and spread Christianity throughout Europe, helping it become one of the most influential religions in the world.
These three events helped shape the trajectory of Christianity after the death of Jesus, and they serve as a reminder that God still works in mysterious ways today. His power has spread the gospel message worldwide and brought hope to millions of people who follow Him.
Conclusion
The death of Jesus was a pivotal and significant moment in history, but it was the subsequent events that really made a lasting impact. Pentecost, Peter’s proclamation to Cornelius, and Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus all helped spread Christianity worldwide.
These events show us that even today, God is still at work and can use His power to bring people of any background into His family. He is an all-powerful and loving God who continues to shape the world miraculously.