As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow says in “A Psalm of Life,” “(The) lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.” But one man, a man called Jesus, claims to have shown us how to transcend the sands of time that inexorably slip through our fingers like the sands of an hourglass. This man Jesus, who declares to be the Son of God, teaches us the paradoxical secret of this timeless life is dying!

The enigmatic story of this peasant born child turned king has stirred the hearts of men and women for nearly 2000 years but at the same time has provoked the fury of many others. His life is associated with miraculous healing, prophetic fulfillments, and profound teachings but these are not the issues which provoke such conflicting views. The controversy surrounding His life centers on His claim of divine origin and equality with God. And nowhere is this more pointedly debated than with His alleged crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

These events (specifically, the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus) have piqued my curiosity and stimulated my study for many years and have led, through a circuitous route, to the book you now hold.