As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, if Jesus was not raised from the dead, the Christian faith is futile. We are all still lost in our sin.
That means that we have no hope of eternal life. This is all there is and there is no reason for hope.
Paul writes that it is of first importance that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day. He appeared to Peter and then to the twelve apostles and later to more than five hundred at the same time. Then He appeared to James and to all the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:3-9
He ends his list of appearances with "and last of all, He appeared to me." This appearance caused the radical conversion of a former persecutor and murderer of Christians to the great evangelist and warrior of the faith. Acts 26
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith and dear to our hearts. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected three days later, defeating death and assuring us of eternal life. He is now at the right hand of God and He prays for us.
Christianity stands up to intelligent and tough examination. If you doubt the resurrection, I recommend that you read The Case for Christ or The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel. They are excellent reading for the analytic mind and may be the beginning of the most important time of your life.
