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For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ and take the gospel seriously, this is our big time. Sports fanatics have the Super Bowl, but if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, this is our weekend.

We're excited about Good Friday and what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and then we gather together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But if you look at the newsstand, you'll see some magazines where liberal scholars, historians, and others, mock or ridicule the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Time magazine ran a piece (in 2004) called "The Search for Jesus." That's a goofy title because the fact is anybody searching for Jesus can find him easily. Some people who say they're searching for Jesus are really searching for a reason not to believe.

Referring to the Jesus Seminar that is searching for the historical Jesus, Time magazine says, "The seminar found all the nativity descriptions to be inauthentic, except for the name of Jesus' mother, Mary." No miracle working, nothing miraculous of any kind. Regarding Easter and the resurrection, all descriptions of Jesus' trial were deemed inauthentic, along with his Palm Sunday statement that he is the Messiah.

Is the Resurrection necessary? Must a Christian believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ? Is it really that important? A survey conducted by Barna Research group finds that 30 percent of born again Christians do not believe that Jesus came back to physical life after he was crucified. Thirty percent. That's terrifying!

Can you really be a follower of Jesus Christ and not believe in his physical, bodily resurrection from the dead? The answer is clearly, no. Like most errors that bombard our faith, it's not a new one. It's what Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul says, in effect: "Hey guys, tune in here for a minute. If there is no such thing as a resurrection, then Jesus didn't have a resurrection, either. And if Jesus didn't have a resurrection, if he didn't rise, then Christianity is in deep weeds."

"And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty," (1 Corinthians 15:14). The word "empty" is the Greek word canos; it means futile, useless, worthless, without purpose. If Christ is not risen, preaching is a waste of time. There's nothing to talk about, there's nothing to gather for, there's nothing to say.

What would I preach on if I didn't believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? What would I say? "I read this great book, and I want to review it with you this morning." I'd say, "I'm going to preach on social reform, I'm going to preach on horizontal goodness with generic references to a god we can never know." In that case, the church would be empty and Paul would be right. Preaching that does not include the resurrection of Jesus Christ is empty—it's worthless.

Notice how the verse ends. It says, "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty."

If Christ is not risen, we have nothing to believe. Everything hangs on that. Jesus would be a liar if he's not risen. He said he would rise. The Bible is a joke because it's filled with things that never happened.

If Christ is not risen, let's send the people home, lay off the staff, lock up the building and give away the keys. I'll pack up my books and burn them. But we're all here because Christ is risen. Everything hangs on that. If Christ is not risen, Christianity is a colossal waste of time. Believe in what? Trust in what? Trust a god who's dead? Pray to a Savior whose body was eaten by dogs? Is that what we're doing? I don't think so.

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