Matt. 27:62-66; John 10:17, 18; Matt. 27:51-53; John 20:11-29; 1 Cor. 15:5-8.

 “When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead’” (Rev. 1:17, 18, NCV).

 Central to the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus. Paul made this point very powerfully when he wrote: “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 Cor. 15:16-18, NKJV). We will look at this in more detail next week.

 Thus, no matter all the emphasis Paul put on Christ’s death, and how important it was — “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2, NKJV) — it really does us no good apart from His resurrection. That’s how crucial the resurrection of Jesus is to the entire Christian faith and the plan of salvation.

 However, it’s hard to understand why the resurrection of Christ and with it our resurrection are so important if, as many believe, the dead in Christ are already enjoying the bliss of heaven as they have “gone home to be with the Lord.”

 All that aside, this week we will look at Christ’s resurrection and all the convincing evidence He gave us to believe in it.

 Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 12.