"Christianity," said Richard Virgin, "is unusual among the great religions of the world in that it stands or falls on the strength of one historical event, the resurrection of Jesus, about 1,970 years ago in Palestine; that in the light of a spring morning Jesus of Nazareth walked out of the grave alive."
Disprove the resurrection, and although the Gospels will still contain fine and noble principles and high, even inspirational ideals, their central message becomes a fraud, Christianity a delusion, and Christians through the ages have been tragically wrong. That is the essence of Paul's words in 1st Corinthians 15:13-15 that '....if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.'
Frank Morison's book 'Who Moved the Stone' (Pub. Faber and Faber available on request through libraries) is a classic survey of the evidence and is well worth reading by any who have any doubts at all about the reality of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The resurrection really did happen, and Jesus really is alive, the unique all conquering Son of God. It is as a direct result of resurrection that His teaching carries absolute authority; his destiny to rule the world and his second coming become a certainty. The resurrection is the pivotal point in God's purpose. It is the means by which others may participate in a more general resurrection that the Bible says will take place when Jesus returns to set up his kingdom. Read 1st Corinthians chapter 15 through and see how the Apostle Paul sees the resurrection of Jesus as central to our faith.
We must not merely take Jesus's teaching as the basis of our moral behaviour and deny his resurrection and its future implications. To do so would be to select principles without authority. It is the resurrection that alone makes sense of His message and gives hope of a glorious kingdom to come to those who put their trust in him.