This list gives you King James Version Bible verses about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, gathered by theme so you can find the right passage for a particular moment, whether that is an Easter sermon, a quiet morning, or a conversation with someone who doubts. Every passage points to the same central fact: the tomb was empty, and that changes how the rest of life is lived. The verses below move from the historical testimony of the first witnesses to the hope that the resurrection gives believers today.
Verses for Easter Morning and the Empty Tomb
These passages record what the first disciples found when they went to the tomb. They are the place to start if you want the bare account of what happened, told by the writers who saw it or heard it from those who did.
Matthew 28:6
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
(KJV)
This is the announcement the women heard at the tomb, and it is short on purpose. Read it aloud slowly on Sunday morning, and let the word “risen” settle before you move on to the rest of your day.
Mark 16:6
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
(KJV)
The angel asks the women not to look for the living among the dead. When you feel tempted to search for hope in places that have already let you down, let this verse redirect your eyes toward the one who is alive.
Luke 24:5-6
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee…
(KJV)
The question in these verses is a gentle rebuke that still applies to us. Write it on a card and place it where you will see it during a week when you feel tempted to settle for a faith that only looks backward.
John 20:8
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
(KJV)
Peter and John run to the tomb, and John sees the evidence and believes. Take a few minutes to consider the linen cloths and what they suggest, and ask God to give you the same willingness to see clearly.
Verses for Doubt, Fear, and Honest Questions
Some of the strongest passages about the resurrection were written to people who struggled to believe it. These verses are useful when your own faith feels thin or when a friend brings you a hard question.
Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
(KJV)
Jesus invites the disciples to touch his hands and feet, which shows that he was not a ghost or an idea. If you are asking whether any of this is real, pray through this passage and thank God that the risen Christ met his followers in a body they could recognize.
John 20:27
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
(KJV)
Jesus meets Thomas in his doubt and does not turn him away. Bring your honest questions to God in the same way, and be willing to let the evidence speak in God’s time rather than forcing a settled answer today.
1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
(KJV)
Paul states plainly that the whole Christian message stands or falls with the resurrection. Use this verse as a test when you need to be reminded why the empty tomb matters so much to everything else you believe.
Verses for Living Today in the Power of the Risen Christ
The resurrection is not only a fact to be believed but a power that reshapes daily life. These passages connect the empty tomb to new ways of thinking, loving, and enduring.
Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
(KJV)
Paul connects the resurrection to a new way of walking. Before you start a difficult task, remind yourself that you are not bound to your old patterns, and ask God to help you live today in that newness.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
(KJV)
The Spirit who raised Jesus is the same Spirit who dwells in believers. When you feel worn out by ordinary obligations, pray this verse over your body and your energy, asking God to give you strength you cannot manufacture yourself.
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
(KJV)
Peter describes a living hope that comes through the resurrection. Pick one concrete hope you carry this week, such as a family member, a job, or a health concern, and bring it before God with this word in mind.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…
(KJV)
Paul longs to know the power of Christ’s resurrection, not just to know about it. Ask yourself where you most need that power right now, and pray for a specific place in your life to be touched by it.
1 Corinthians 15:55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
(KJV)
Paul mocks the power of death because Christ has overcome it. Carry this verse to a funeral, a hospital room, or a quiet moment of grief, and let it steady you without rushing your sorrow.
How to Use These Verses
Many people find it helpful to read one passage a day during the weeks around Easter, or to read the whole set in order to follow the story from the tomb to the church. Writing a verse on a note card and keeping it in a wallet, on a mirror, or beside your coffee maker gives you something to return to when your attention drifts. Reading the placeholder text aloud in the King James wording can also slow you down enough to notice phrases you had skimmed over before.
When you pray with these verses, begin by reading the passage slowly and naming one word that stands out. Then turn that word into a short request or a word of thanks. Revisit the same passage over several days, since the same words often carry something new as your circumstances change. Sharing one verse with a friend who is grieving or uncertain can also be a gentle way to speak of the risen Christ without a long speech.
A Short Prayer for the Resurrection
Lord Jesus, you were dead and you are alive, and the tomb you left empty still speaks to me today. Thank you that the story did not end in a grave. Help me to believe what the first witnesses saw, and when my faith grows thin, meet me with the same patience you showed Thomas. Let the power that raised you from the dead work in the places where I feel weak, tired, or afraid. Teach me to live as someone who belongs to a living Saviour, and let that hope shape how I speak, love, and wait for you. Amen.
