If you are searching for Bible readings for Easter, this list gives you passages that tell the story of Christ’s death and resurrection and show what that story means for your own life. It is written for anyone who wants to read Scripture with the church calendar, whether you attend a service on Sunday morning, host a family dinner, or simply want something steady to read during Holy Week. Each passage points to the same truth: the tomb is empty, death has lost its hold, and the risen Jesus meets his people with peace.
Readings for the Days Leading Up to Easter
Holy Week begins with a crowd shouting praise and ends with a tomb sealed shut. The passages in this first group walk you through that rough road, helping you slow down and notice how God moved through the betrayal, the trial, and the silence before dawn.
Matthew 21:9
The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
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Read this on Palm Sunday to remember the crowds who welcomed Jesus with shouts of praise. Before the week turns dark, take a moment to name one way you want to welcome him as king in your own home today.
Luke 22:19
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
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Jesus gave his friends bread and wine as a way to remember him. Before you share a meal this week, pause and thank him for the body given for you, and let the ordinary table become a place of remembrance.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
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This prophecy describes a suffering servant who bears wounds that belong to others. Read it slowly on Good Friday and let it sink in, then write one sentence of thanks for the healing it promises.
Verses for Facing the Silence of Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is the day between the cross and the empty tomb, and many believers find it the hardest to sit through. These verses speak to the waiting, the grief, and the uncertainty that come before the morning of hope.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
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The psalmist promises that weeping may stay for a night, but joy comes with the morning. If the night feels long, set an alarm for early Sunday and let that small act remind you the dawn is coming.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
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God draws near to those who are brokenhearted, and that is exactly where many people stand on Holy Saturday. Say this verse aloud during a quiet moment and tell God honestly where your heart hurts.
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
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Jesus spoke these words over a grieving family at a graveside, and he speaks them to you as well. Write the verse on a card and keep it where you will see it when the day feels heavy.
Verses for Easter Morning and the Resurrection
Easter morning is the heart of the season, when women went to the tomb and found it open and the stone rolled away. These readings celebrate the resurrection and the living hope it gives to everyone who trusts Christ.
Matthew 28:6
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
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The angel’s announcement is simple and bold: he is not here, he has risen. Read it out loud before you open your eyes on Easter morning, and let the first words you hear that day be words of victory.
Luke 24:5-6
5 Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee…
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The women were frightened and bowed low until the question was asked, why look for the living among the dead. Ask yourself where you have been searching for life in the wrong places this year, then bring that search to him.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
55 “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Paul mocks death by asking where its sting has gone, then thanks God for victory through Jesus. Use this passage at a graveside or during a time of loss, and let thanksgiving rise above the fear.
Romans 6:4
We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
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Paul explains that believers are raised to walk in new life, just as Christ was raised. Think of one habit or fear you want to leave behind, and ask God to help you live in the newness he has given.
Verses for Sharing the Good News With Others
Easter is also a season for telling others what happened. These verses encourage you to speak about Jesus with the people around you, whether that means family members, coworkers, or neighbors who have never heard.
Mark 16:6
He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!
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The young man at the tomb gave the disciples a message to carry forward. Choose one person this week and tell them plainly that Jesus is alive, without needing to explain everything.
Acts 2:32
This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
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Peter boldly testified that God raised Jesus, and the disciples were witnesses. Consider what you have seen God do in your own life, and write it down so you can share it when the moment comes.
Romans 10:9
That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Paul connects confessing Jesus as Lord with believing that God raised him from the dead. If someone asks what you believe this Easter, let this verse guide you toward a clear and humble answer.
How to Use These Verses
You do not need to read all fifteen passages at once. Pick the two or three that fit the day you are in, and read them slowly, perhaps twice, before you move on. Writing them on index cards, in a journal, or on a note in your phone gives you something to return to when the week gets busy.
Many families find it helpful to read one passage each morning from Palm Sunday through Easter, letting the story unfold in order. Pray a short response after each reading, thanking God for what the text reveals about Christ. Over the course of the week, the readings will build on one another until the empty tomb feels as close as your own kitchen table.
A Short Prayer for Easter
Lord Jesus, you walked through suffering and death so that I could live in your light. Thank you for the cross, where you carried what I could never carry, and for the empty tomb, where you showed that death does not have the final word. Help me to slow down this week and remember what you have done. Let the words of Scripture take root in my heart, and let my life reflect the hope I have in you. Fill my home with the joy of the resurrection, and help me share that joy with someone who needs to hear it. Amen.
