Bethany Lutheran Church

"Jesus’ Resurrection Matters"

May 12, 2026

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas ….” “For it is written in the book of Psalms … ‘Let another take his office.’ “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us … one of these men must become with us a witness to His resurrection.” And they put forward two … And they prayed … And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:15-16a, 20-21, 22b-23a, 24a, 26)

This is an odd story. I can never make up my mind whether Peter was right to try to replace Judas this way, or whether the whole group of believers should have waited a few more days for the Holy Spirit to come, before making such a major decision!

But either way, it probably doesn’t matter much, especially now. What does matter is something Peter definitely got right—when he says that it’s necessary to have witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.

Because Jesus’ resurrection is the primary force that drove the early church to witness so freely and to grow so fast, even under threat of death. They knew that Jesus had suffered and died, and that God the Father had raised Him from the dead. There were witnesses who could testify that He was alive again—over 500 of them! (See 1 Corinthians 15:6.) We rely on their eyewitness testimony even today, kept for us in the New Testament.

And those believers knew what it meant for God to raise Jesus from the dead—that God was putting His seal of approval on everything Jesus said and did for us. God would never raise a liar from the dead. Because God raised Jesus, we know that everything Jesus said to us is God’s own truth, and we can trust it forever.

And what did He say to us?

He invited us to come to Him and follow Him (see Matthew 16:24). He said He was God’s Chosen One, the Messiah (see Matthew 11:2-6). He said He is One with God (see John 14:8-11; John 10:30). He promised us rest, peace, and forgiveness (see Matthew 11:28-30). He said He would never reject us (see John 6:37). He promised to be with us forever (see Matthew 28:20). He promised to send us the Holy Spirit to live in us and work through us (see John 14:16-17). He promised to raise us all from the dead at the end of the world (see John 6:40). He said that He would return from heaven to take us home, so that we would be with Him forever (see John 14:3).

Jesus’ resurrection matters. As Paul writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20).

WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for dying and rising for us. Strengthen my trust in You. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Look up some of the Bible verses in the message above. What has Jesus promised us?
2. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, how would that have changed Christianity? (Would there be Christianity?)
3. There are many other reasons Jesus’ resurrection matters. Can you think of some?