13 Wonderful Easter Bible verses for Kids
If you are looking for Easter Bible verses for kids, you have come to the right place! Not only will we provide you a list of verses specifically from the resurrection stories, but we will also provide relatable Bible verses that talk about the resurrection that will be a perfect fit for Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday.
Whether you are using these to talk about the Easter story in your Sunday School class or using them as a cute way to bring the Bible into your Easter baskets, these Bible verses will help with reminding kids not only of the story of Jesus but what eternal life by following Jesus looks like.
All translations in this post are from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted. Please visit Bible Gateway to find these verses in your preferred translation.
What is Easter about in the Bible?
The word Easter is never used in the Bible. However, when we speak of Easter and Easter verses, we are referring to when the son of God, Christ Jesus, was resurrected from the dead. A great way to describe what happened is by reciting the Apostle’s Creed to children. This gives the account step-by-step of what the resurrection of the Lord Jesus truly means to us today and why it is good news.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again;he ascended into heaven,he is seated at the right hand of the Father,and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Note: For children who are not Catholic, it may be helpful to explain that believing in the holy catholic church does not mean Catholicism, but the word catholic is referenced to a wider variety of things, or “all-embracing,” meaning that we believe in the church as a whole body of Christ.
Where can I find the Easter story in the Bible?
The resurrection Bible verses are in all four gospels:
- Matthew 28
- Mark 16
- Luke 24
- John 20
How can I explain the differences between the four resurrection stories in the Bible to kids?
I believe it is important to explain to children at a young age that there are several differences between the four resurrection stories. As an adult, this argument has been made to me by atheists to say “see, ‘God’s word’ can’t even get the biggest story of the Bible right!”. This is simply not true. If we can explain this to children at a young age, this better prepares them for questions they may get later in life. It also prevents questions they may have when they do Bible study on their own when they are older.
If you have a group of kids, the best way to explain these small differences between the resurrection Bible verses is with a hands-on activity:
- Take one kid at a time, and tell them a story that has 4-6 parts, depending on their age level. Make sure you take the kid away so that no other kid hears.
- As time permits, ask them (separately) to tell you the story back to you, and record them as they tell you.
- After each kid does this, play their stories out for the others to hear. They will be able to hear that the key elements are the same, but some parts are different, including timing, the order it was told, what parts were omitted, etc.
- Explain that this is the same with four different authors. They all either witnessed, or were close to someone who witnessed, the details of the resurrection, but eyewitness accounts always vary.
If the kids are older, explain more about eyewitness accounts such as these in the resurrection stories. In criminal justice, those interviewing witnesses expect slight variations in stories. It is when the stories are exactly the same that interviewers become suspicious because they assume that the witnesses have been talking and creating the same narrative. Just as those in criminal justice, we expect a slight variation when being shared by different authors.
Related: 39 powerful Bible verses for new parents
Easter Bible Verses For Kids
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. (Luke 24:30)
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Helpful Kid Hint: If you want kids learn this memory verse in a fun way, this link here will take you directly to YouTube for the John 3:16 song by The Rizers – it teaches the verse word-by-word in song form. Warning – it will get stuck in your head too, but in a good way! They have a whole channel of Bible memorization fun.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split. (Matthew 27:51)
Note: Kids may need the context to understand just how powerful this statement is. In synagogues, there was a holy curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (see Exodus 26:31-33.) Only the high priest could enter this holy area, and it was only once a year that the priest could do this. The only reason for the priest to enter once a year was to provide a sacrifice for the sins that the people had made to ask for forgiveness.
It has been studied that the curtain was about the same height as a six-story building, and incredibly long as well. This was not like a shower curtain tearing in half, but something too large to tear easily! The curtain being ripped allowed all of us to have direct access to God, as Jesus was the sacrifice.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
Sunday School Class Ideas for the Easter Holiday
- The Four Stories Idea- See above how to explain to kids the four resurrection stories in the Bible and how they all truly match
- Find some great coloring pages with popular Bible verses or Easter scripture verses online- type into Pinterest and see which free ones come up!
- Have kids discuss and try to debate what is the most important holiday for Christians. Is it the Easter season?
- Have kids draw on a blank sheet of paper what they believe to be the meaning of Easter.
- Oriental Trading Company usually has GREAT Easter crafts! Many have great Easter Bible quotes on there.
- Do an Easter egg hunt- but put a Bible verse AND candy in each egg!
Final Thoughts
We may know the great power of Christ’s death and of the resurrection of Jesus. We know that just as Jesus was resurrected, we too can have new life in Jesus. This is an overwhelming concept for many adults, so we cannot expect kids to grasp all of the concepts we talk about during Holy Week at church. What we can do though is provide a solid foundation. There is no better way to do that than to provide Easter Bible verses for kids that they can learn, memorize, and use as building blocks for their faith as they learn the Easter story each year.
Which verse do you think will speak to your kids the most?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
