Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said … “The God who made the world and everything in it … commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”
(Acts 17:16-22a, 24a, 30b-31 ESV)
It cracks me up that some of Paul’s listeners thought he was preaching about two gods instead of one. You can see their misunderstanding in verse 18: “Others said, ‘He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities’—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.” Apparently Paul mentioned Jesus’ resurrection so often that some people thought Jesus was one god, and “Resurrection” was the name of another one!
But really, that’s almost a good problem to have. Because Paul never makes the mistake so many of us do nowadays. He tells everyone about Jesus and the cross, but he never, ever, forgets the resurrection. And that’s important for so many reasons.
The first is kind of obvious. If we tell our non-Christian friends about Jesus, they need to know He’s alive today, right? We don’t want to leave them with the impression that He’s dead and gone, out of reach—that they can’t speak to Him, trust in Him, or rely on Him for help. Jesus is alive and with us forever, just as He promised (see Matthew 28:20). And now we’re waiting for Him to return visibly from heaven at the end of the world.
But there’s so many more reasons to talk about Jesus’ resurrection! Because Jesus is alive, we know that His death was a victory, not a defeat. In fact, His suffering and death was God’s own victory over sin, death, and evil—breaking their power over the whole human race (see Luke 4:18, Hebrews 2:14). Now everyone who trusts in Jesus has life, forgiveness, and peace with God, starting now. And we will be with Him in God’s kingdom forever.
We Pray: Lord, I’m so glad You’re alive. I’m trusting You to raise me from the dead too when You come back on the Last Day. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on April , 2026
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
Reflection Questions:
• The next time you hear a sermon or read a devotion, check to see: Does it talk about Jesus’ resurrection?
• If Jesus had stayed dead, what would that tell us about God’s opinion of His life and message?
• When you face death, does it help to have a Savior who has already been through both death and resurrection? Why or why not?