In his Easter message, Rev. Joseph Kassab, President of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, reflected on the essence of Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday, stating:

“If we were to summarize the Passion Week and Easter, we could say that Christ died so the world might live. Today, the Church must be willing to die in the same way if it wishes to truly live. For the Church is a servant of Christ—and a servant is not greater than the master.”

He emphasized that just as Christ’s death was followed by resurrection, the Church, if it follows the path of Christ in death, will also be led into resurrection. In that case, the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ will cease to be merely historical events from 2,000 years ago. Instead, they will become lived realities—encountered every time we remember the Lord’s death and resurrection, in the Eucharist, in baptism, in the Church’s relationships, witness, and mission. “This,” he said, “is the true calling of the Church: to die with Christ.”

Rev. Kassab went on to ask, “What does it mean for the Church to die with Christ in our present context?”

He answered:
“It means the Church must stop clinging to the glories of its past, the legacy of its ancestors, and a reliance on memory alone. It must instead engage in genuine spiritual experiences that bring it into vibrant life in the present.

It means prioritizing substance over appearance—both in worship and in daily living.
It means loving people more than systems and laws.
It means listening to the Word of God and renewing both its life and ministry in light of that Word.
It means becoming a prophetic Church that resembles Christ—willing even to be crucified between two criminals, rejected by a world that does not recognize goodness or righteousness.”

He also pointed to the current condition of Eastern churches, noting that many may feel as though they are in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading: “Let this cup pass from us.” Yet, he encouraged the faithful to instead say, “Let Your will be done.”

“Surrendering to God’s will in this way may be seen by some as reckless—even suicidal. But the response must be clear: ‘No, it is death, yes—but it leads to resurrection.’

And when the Church falls into routine, institutionalism, stagnation, or empty formalism, we must continually pray for Christ to speak to us again, as He once did to Peter: ‘Get behind me, Satan.’”

He concluded his message with a joyful proclamation:
“Christ is risen—He is risen indeed!”