We believe there is no question but that Roman time was reckoned the same as ours now. What might appear a discrepancy as to the hours of the crucifixion is in perfect harmony, supposing John to give Roman time and the others Jewish time. Indeed there is much to favor the thought that John usually used Roman time. In John 4:6, "the sixth hour," or 12:00 noon, would be a most unlikely time, but 6:00 p.m. (Roman time) is much more probable.
Then in verse 52, had this been 1:00 p.m. (Jewish time), there would have been time for the nobleman to return from Cana to Capernaum. But if it were 7:00 p.m. (Roman time), this accounts for the nobleman's remaining all night.
If, then, John, who wrote his gospel so much later than the others, used Roman time, the case stands thus: the trial of our blessed Lord was concluded about the sixth hour—6:00 a.m. (Roman time and our time; John 19:14). He was crucified the third hour, Jewish time—our time would be 9:00 a.m. (Mark 15:25). There was darkness over the land from the sixth hour to the ninth hour (Jewish time), or from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. (our time), as recorded in Mark 15:33-34; Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44. Thus, the trial closed about 6:00 a.m.; the crucifixion was at 9:00 a.m.; the darkness was from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.
It is not stated what took place from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., but if we compare John 18:28 with ch. 19:14 it appears that our blessed Lord was waiting to be crucified While the Jews kept the very Passover feast that pointed to Him! Truly they knew not what they were doing. B. F. Pinkerton