Belief in the resurrection changes everything

Rather than demand our silent devotion, Jesus wants us to act: let us go out, testify, and help others. Those who merely pray without taking action have failed in their mission. Chief Apostle Schneider calls for transformation.

Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider celebrated the divine service for Easter with his brothers and sisters in Brisbane, which is located on Australia’s east coast. On Sunday morning, 20 April 2025, just under 900 members assembled in the Royal International Convention Centre. And—together with many others who participated in the divine service by transmission throughout Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and a number of Pacific islands—they heard a sermon based on the words recorded in John 20: 17–18: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.”

Understanding the resurrection with our faith

The gospels describe the events surrounding the resurrection differently because they were composed by different authors for different audiences. These differences can be explained by the circumstances under which they came into being, but their central concern is one and the same, said Chief Apostle Schneider, “Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died and resurrected for the redemption of humankind.”

What is important, therefore, is not the literal interpretation, but the proper understanding that we can have with the help of the Holy Spirit. For Christians today, this means that the resurrection is not merely some story from long ago but rather a reality. Those who hear the call of Jesus, understand His words, experience fellowship with Him in Holy Communion, and live among the believers can also encounter Him today. Faith is not simply knowledge, but a relationship that we can experience with the living Christ, explained the Chief Apostle.

Who Jesus really is

By raising Him from the dead, God confirmed both the teachings and person of Jesus Christ:

• God is the way Jesus revealed Him. Jesus Christ says, “God is the living God, the One who loves the sinner, who desires to save everyone. And we are agreed: this is also our God—not the God of punishment and vengeance.”
• Jesus is the beloved Son of God. God provided for His Son throughout His entire life, but His priority was to enable Jesus Christ to enter the kingdom of God as a human being. And we know that God will also provide for us in our daily lives, but that is not His priority. The priority is that He wants to help us enter the kingdom of God to have eternal life.
• Jesus is the man who is fully conformed to the divine will. We want to become like Jesus and enter the kingdom of God as human beings in the same way that Jesus was able to enter the kingdom of God.
• Jesus Christ is Immanuel, meaning “God with us”. Through His resurrection, Jesus showed us that He was still with us human beings—and they were able to meet Him in person. And Jesus Christ is and remains ‘God with us’—even today. We encounter Him when we listen to His teachings, when we have fellowship with other human beings, and when we celebrate Holy Communion. And He tells us, “I am praying for you. I am interceding on your behalf.”
• Through Jesus it is God who called the disciples—and who also calls us. Jesus tells us: “I want you to enter the glory of God just as I entered the glory of God. I have opened the way. I want you to have the same as I have.”

Faith transforms us

The resurrection of Jesus transformed the disciples. Faith in the resurrection also brings about profound changes in believers today. It makes us

• courageous. Jesus Christ is definitively the Victor. Good will triumph over evil. The devil will lose the battle. That is our conviction. This assurance also makes us confident today, said Chief Apostle Schneider.
• insightful. The resurrection of Christ also led the disciples into a better understanding of the words of Jesus. “So it is that we likewise understand the doctrine of Jesus properly—not only as it applies to our lives here on earth. The goal is resurrection and eternal life.”
• focused. The disciples understood that they had to attach greater importance to the word of God than to that which they could see and understand. And that is also the case today, “The power of faith—the power of the gospel—is the truth, not necessarily what we can see or understand.”
• believing. We believe, just as the disciples did: that Jesus will come soon. And we want to be prepared for this event. That is the purpose of our lives. This is our goal. Maranatha!
• united. The early Christians were one heart and one soul. “And our concern is likewise to be united, because Jesus wants us to be one.”

At the time, Jesus asked Mary not to touch Him, but rather to go out and share the news with the other disciples. “We cannot content ourselves by seeking individual contact with Jesus in prayer, worship, and reflection. Jesus also sends us out today: He wants us to contribute to the salvation of others by proclaiming the gospel and by doing good!” said the Chief Apostle in summary..