The resurrection of Christ is not really being questioned in this verse. In fact, the certainty of its having happened is used as a point of reference and guarantee for the real subject of these several verses. If we live faithfully in the teachings of Christ we can be assured of our own resurrection at the final judgment.
Paul asked the rhetorical question, “If you believe that Christ arose from the grave, why do some of you have a problem believing that we shall also arise?” The sense of his reasoning is, “If you believe in Christ’s resurrection,” (and they did), “then you can be assured of our resurrection.” Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection!
What an incredible promise! Death is not the end. We shall live on, for eternity! We can be assured of this because we know that our Lord arose from the grave, victorious over death.
Now it is important that we grasp the gravity of this doctrine. Christ arose from the grave. Because He arose, we are promised that we shall also arise. If we cannot expect to arise from the grave, then He is not risen. He arose, we shall arise. We shall arise because He arose. That’s not double-talk. Both resurrections- Christ’s and ours- are inseparably connected. If He did not arise from the dead, then we will not arise on that final day of judgment. If Christ did come forth from the grave, then so will we.
Our resurrection at judgment is certain because of the certainty of Christ’s resurrection almost two thousand years ago. If either one is not truth, then neither one is truth. Either both are true, or neither is true. If we do not rise, then Christ is not risen. If Christ arose, then we are assured that we shall arise. Christ did arise, and as a result we are assured of our resurrection. Just another blessing bestowed upon us through the resurrection of Christ…