Religious leaders have called upon believers during Easter celebration services in Kigali to draw hope and strength from the resurrection of Jesus, saying that his victory over death brings courage, faith, and the power to face life’s struggles.

ALSO READ: Cardinal Kambanda urges renewed faith as Rwanda marks Easter ahead of Genocide commemoration

This message was given as Rwanda and the world prepare to observe the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

While leading Mass at St. Michael Cathedral, Archbishop of Kigali Cardinal Antoine Kambanda said that Jesus Christ suffered alongside those being remembered, those who lost their lives in the Genocide. He noted that, like Jesus, they were persecuted, forced to flee, hated, betrayed, and killed.

Reflecting on the Way of the Cross, Kambanda said the dead were not strangers but brothers, sisters, and children, with whom people shared life and identity as children of God. Remembering them, he said, calls for unity, honouring them, and staying close to survivors.

He described Easter as the victory of life over death, righteousness over sin, and good over evil, shared by Christ with humanity. He thanked God for raising Rwanda and for those who showed courage during the killings, including those who hid others or gave their lives to save them, describing them as witnesses of love and faith.

Cardinal Kambanda said that mourning is comforted by that victory, with the belief that loved ones were not defeated by death. He urged prayer for the victims, for pure hearts, and for peace, calling on Christians to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength.

At New Life Bible Church, Pastor Charles Mugisha based his sermon on Luke 24:1-53, focusing on the resurrection as proof of redemption through the cross. He noted how the women who visited Jesus’ tomb found it empty, and angels told them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

Mugisha said this fulfilled prophecies spoken long before, including those in Isaiah 53:5. "Through the cross, we have been delivered from all our sins. Our redemption is sealed by His resurrection. Christ’s suffering bought us peace. By His wounds, we are healed emotionally, physically, and in every way.”

He compared this to the relief of a prisoner being released, explaining the freedom and peace believers now enjoy.

Mugisha taught that Jesus restored humanity’s relationship with God, bridging the gap caused by sin and allowing people to approach Him without fear or condemnation. The resurrection, he added, confirms this new life and victory, which is rooted not in circumstances but in Christ’s death and resurrection.

For Apostle Yoshua Masasu of Evangelical Restoration Church Rwanda in Masoro, he spoke about the power of the resurrection, building his message in scripture.

He referenced Matthew 27:62–66, where chief priests and Pharisees asked Pilate to secure Jesus’ tomb, fearing His disciples might claim He had risen. Masasu noted that the resurrection could not be contained.

Masasu told believers that resurrection power goes beyond the cross and applies to personal struggles. He urged them to surrender their troubles so that they may be buried and rise again transformed.

"Whatever that is taking long, whether your marriage, giving birth, whether the prices of fuel increase. Don’t compare yourselves with others because you are different from them. Have faith,” he said.

He prayed for believers to experience transformation through the power of the resurrection, so that visible change becomes evident in their lives.

At Christian Life Assembly in Nyarutarama, lead pastor Peter Nkunzingoma preached a sermon titled "The Power of His Resurrection,” drawing from Luke 24:1-9.

"Our theme this year has been being transformed into the image of Christ, and not being conformed to this world through the renewal of the mind. Because on the third day He rose from the grave, we have the confidence to share this good news. It is not merely an event in history, it is the truth,” he said.

"His resurrection gives assurance in our salvation and strength for our daily walk. Without the resurrection, Christianity collapses and our faith becomes shakable. The church stands on unshakable ground.”

Nkunzingoma told believers that Easter should go beyond celebration. He spoke of those trapped in drug use and weighed down by sin, waiting for someone to tell them there is a savior.

He said the resurrection of Jesus redeems from death and called on those who have not yet accepted Christ to do so.

"The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. If Jesus had died and remained in the grave, our presence in this building would mean that we are a cult,” he said.

At ADEPR Gatenga, Reverend Pastor Isaie Ndayizeye, Senior Pastor of ADEPR Church, preached that Jesus rising from the tomb shows that nothing can stop God’s plan and that the same power that raised Him is still at work in the Church today.

"It is that power that can restore your life, change your story, and remove what the enemy has placed upon you,” he said.

Pastor Ndayizeye explained that even while Jesus was in the tomb, He was at work, preparing blessings and opportunities that people could not see. The resurrection, he said, opens the way for all believers, great and humble, Rwandans, Africans, and the global Church, to receive God’s grace.

He added that God’s purpose was not only to remove the stone but to give life and a future to all.