1 Corinthians 15:12

Many things in Christian tradition and language can be thought of as symbolic. Jesus' great "I am" sayings are mostly powerful symbols of the closeness and completeness of His person with God's. The 'light', the 'gate', the 'bread of life' point to the revelation, the way and the means by which our journey to and in God are dependent upon Jesus.
But 'resurrection' is more a concrete, literal word. Jesus is the Resurrection - the One who brings in Himself the fullness of the Creation - the One who is resurrected and the One in whom we will be resurrected. It is not simply the case that we have been shown what will happen to us - 'as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive' - it is also in Christ Himself that we will be resurrected. In other words, the unity of Christ in God, the complete intimacy to the point of oneness that Christ has with God in His Resurrection will be ours too.
Being a Christian, following Christ into His death and resurrection is a life choice in real terms. To be "in Christ" is to who know that we will be one with God and as we await that time, we live out our lives in that context. This future hope shapes our present and gives our lives the meaning and purpose necessary to complete them.
Compared to the fullness of the Resurrection, though - this is nothing and what is harder to bear is that the decisions we make in the light of our hope, as opposed to the more mundane experiences of our competitive lives, will often look futile and ridiculous.
Deciding to act on the basis of our future hope is bth transforming and terrifying. It's what faith really is.