No resurrection?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.- 1 Corinthians 15.13-18

It is not too much to say that all of faith hinges on one key event. There are plenty of let Bible truths and fundamentals that are vital, but there is one event which is fundemental to all the rest. Without it everything else would be worthless. 

We are, of course, taking about the resurrection. Without the resurrection Christ would not have risen. If He never rose from the dead there is nothing to our preaching. Our faith is worthless. We are liars. Our faith is futile. We are still in our sins. All those who have died in Christ have simply persisted. 

That. Why the resurrection is so much under attack. That is why 2000 years on people still do research and publish papers trying to disprove it.  That's why people like Dam Brown write novels claiming there are millennia old conspiracies to cover up what 'really' happened. If the resurrection is true than the world is wrong, the word of God is true, and there is a holy God to be reckoned with. 

But, as Paul goes on to say, there is a resurrection.  Christ is risen. And because He is rise we have hope of eternal life. 

He is risen. 

He is risen indeed. 

Hallelujah.