Catechism Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 4: Jesus Christ Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, Died, and Buried (571-630)

The Cross and Resurrection is the center of the Good News, and the accomplishment of God's saving plan.

Paragraph 1: Jesus and Israel (574-594)
To the religious leaders of the day, Jesus seemed to be acting disobedient to the Law, and accused him of all kinds of things. Jesus said he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and was the only one who could keep it perfectly. By fulfilling the Law, Jesus redeemed people from the first covenant. He was a teacher of the law, but his interpretation of the Law did not match the scribes of the day. Jesus had respect for the Temple, and went to the Temple to encounter God. However, he did prophesy the Temple's destruction, which was distorted by his accusers. His claim to be able to redeem sins was the true stumbling block. He enjoyed the company of sinners, and acted mercifully towards them, even forgiving sins. He made absolute claims about his identity such as the Messiah this was considered a blaspheme as Jesus was claiming to be God. Finally, the religious leaders labelled him a blasphemer worthy of death.

Paragraph 2: Jesus Died Crucified (595-623)
The religious leaders were not unanimous in their decision to execute Jesus, and the Jewish people as a whole were not responsible for his death. All sinners have responsibility, however. The crucifixion was part of God's redemptive plan, in which Jesus was made to take the punishment for the sins of man this was to fulfill the scriptures written by the prophets. Through this, we see God's redeeming love. It was not only the Father's plan; Jesus offered himself and his whole life to the Father  for our sins and to freely embraced the Father's redeeming love. Jesus at the last supper anticipated the free offering of his life for humanity. Christ suffered in agony in Gethsemani  about his upcoming sacrifice however he decided to go through with it so that the Fathers will would be done and not his will. His sacrifice is the unique and definitive sacrifice, where he substituted his obedience for our disobedience. In this sacrifice Christ death is both a Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and the sacrifice of the New Covenant , which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the blood of the covenant which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus consummates his sacrifice on the cross through making possible a redemptive sacrifice for all. We are also called to share in his suffering.

Paragraph 3: Jesus Christ was Buried (624-630)
Jesus not only died for our sins, but tasted death for us. His soul was separated from his body for a brief time, and his mortal body did not decay. Baptism is an outward sign of being buried with Christ because when you go down into the water you die to sin and when you come up from the water you are born into a new life in Christ.