1. Mark 15:37 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

How long did it take for Jesus to die on the cross?

Mark 15:37 (ESV)

37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.

Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate early in the morning (Mark 15:1) so that by the third hour (09:00) he was hanging on the cross (Mark 15:25). He was alive on the cross until the ninth hour (15:00) when he uttered a loud cry and breathed his last (Mark 15:37). From this, it seems as if Jesus was on the cross for a total of six hours before he died. This is quite a short time, as indicated by the fact that Pontius Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead when Joseph came to him to ask permission to bury his body (Mark 15:44).