This is the response to Mars-Man's question I got from my pal Jake:
Sabro, here are some feasible explanations for this apparent contradiction.
1. The writers used different systems of keeping time. On this view, Mark used the Jewish reckoning of time which begins at sunrise (6am). John, on the other hand, used Roman time, which begins the day at midnight. If this is true, then when Mark states that it was the third hour when they crucified him (9am in JT), which would mean that his trial occurred roughly between 6am-9am (JT), this would correspond to John’s declaration that Jesus trial occurred roughly in the sixth hour of Roman time (6am).
2. The Jews divided both the nights and days into four equal parts. The first division commenced at six in the morning and lasted to 9. This sliver of time was referred to as “the third hour of the day.” Again, the portion of time lasting from 9am - 12pm was referred to as the “sixth hour of the day.” So on and so forth.
We see this classification suggested in Mark’s account:
Mark 15:25-34 25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." 27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with transgressors." 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32 "Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. 33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
There’s no reason to assume that Mark meant to say that the events like darkness falling, Jesus crying out, etc. occurred at exactly 12pm and 3pm. Rather, it seems more likely that he is being far more general in indicating times at which certain events happened.
Again, this four-fold division was used at night
Matthew 14:25 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.
The forth watch would refer to any time from 3am to 6am.
If this is the case, Mark refers to the later part of the 1st section of the day (the third hour) whereas John refers to the early part of the 2nd section of the day (the sixth hour). John qualifies his statement with “about the sixth hour,” which allows for overlap.
3. When a person refers to “crucifixion,” it can refer to far more than to someone hanging on a cross. It’s similar to marriage (pun intended). When someone asks, “when did you get married,” do they want to know when the ceremony began, ended, or when I said “I do.” Some may refer to the whole day, given that it was all in preparation for the ceremony. Some may include the festivities after the ceremony. In other words, when I got married isn’t something that one can nail down to the minute, perhaps not even to the hour.
As such, when Mark says that Jesus was crucified at the third hour, he could be referring to the beginnings of a procedure that lasts for hours before the actual victim is erected on the cross. There are a lot of spaces for time gaps. For example, maybe after Pilate gives the decree, some of key Roman soldiers who would lead to procession had to go to the restroom (a silly example to prove the point). In the case of Christ, there’s some distance between Jerusalem and Mount Calvary (add to this the slow procession due to the stifling crowds). Maybe there were some preparations made at the scene of Mt. Calvary (the fetching of nails, the fixing of hammers, etc).
So, let’s take John’s account referring to the terminus of crucifixion - meaning that Jesus was actually erected on the cross “about the sixth hour”; roughly twelve o clock. Let’s say that Jesus was erected on the cross around 11:40 - roughly twelve o clock. Let’s assume also that Mark refers to the beginning of this process of crucifixion. If “third hour” is to be taken literally, then it can refer up to 9:55am. Let’s say that the interim is 2 hours. In this case, we are well within a period of time to escape the charge of contradiction by any historical standards.
This also accords well with when the synoptics place darkness falling over the land (I.e. sixth hour). If the “darkness” corresponds roughly with the Christ’s placement on the cross, and John pinpoints the terminus of crucifixion at sixth hour, then the synoptic might also refer to this terminus with the description of when this darkness descends.
Jake Magee
Associate Pastor
Oasis Christian Fellowship
oasisredlands.org
(909) 335-8211