The death and resurrection of Jesus comprise the cornerstone of the Christian faith. While someone unfamiliar with the significance of these events might see the death of this innocent man as a tragedy, we know that the crucifixion of Jesus ultimately opened the pathway to a personal relationship with God.

This week, Pastor Joe Coffey reminds us that the accounts of Jesus dying relay details that no one making up such a story would have included. For example, Jesus' cry of "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" when he experienced spiritual isolation from God seems like a moment of defeat, not victory... Yet we realize now that Psalm 22 foretold that the one through whom "all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord" would undergo such an experience. We read these things because Jesus truly did die; it's not just a story. As a result, next week we get to celebrate the most important day in history: the day when Jesus returned from the grave to deliver the good news of our salvation.