If you are looking for Bible verses for Easter morning, this list gives you a short set of passages to read, pray and carry with you as the day begins. It is written for Christians who want to start Resurrection Sunday with the gospel itself rather than a rushed scroll through the news. The verses below share a common thread: they point to the empty tomb, the risen Christ, and the hope that his resurrection gives to everyone who belongs to him.
Verses to Read at First Light
Easter morning often begins early, sometimes before the house is awake. These passages recall the women who went to the tomb at dawn and the disciples who first heard that Jesus was alive. Reading them slowly before anything else can set the tone for the whole day.
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
Matthew 28:6 (WEB)
Matthew 28:6
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
(WEB)
The angel’s words to the women are the first Easter announcement. Try saying the sentence aloud in your own voice, then tell one person in your home what you have just read before the coffee is finished.
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…
(WEB)
The women are asked why they look for the living among the dead. Ask yourself where you have been looking for life this week, and let this question quietly redirect your attention to Christ.
John 20:1
Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
(WEB)
Mary arrives at the tomb while it is still dark. If you are awake early, sit in the quiet for a minute and name one thing that still feels dark to you, bringing it to the Lord as you wait for the light.
Verses for Hope in Hard Seasons
Not every Easter morning arrives with joy you can feel. Some people wake up grieving a loss, anxious about a diagnosis, or simply tired. These passages speak to that honest ache and show that the resurrection answers real pain, not only happy moods.
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.
(WEB)
Paul mocks death’s apparent victory and then thanks God for winning through Christ. If a loss is weighing on you today, read these lines aloud and let the thanksgiving at the end carry more weight than the grief at the start.
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.
(WEB)
Paul ties the resurrection to new life for believers. Consider one habit or fear you would like to leave behind this year, and ask God to help you walk in the newness he has already given.
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(WEB)
Jesus speaks these words to Martha before raising Lazarus. Write the question he asks her on a card and keep it in your pocket, so you can hear it again when the day gets heavy.
Verses to Share with Family and Friends
Easter is a day when many people gather around a table, some of them rarely in church. These verses are short enough to read at breakfast, simple enough for children, and clear enough to open a conversation about what Jesus has done.
1 Corinthians 15:20
But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.
(WEB)
Christ is called the firstfruits of those who have died, a picture of the harvest to come. Explain to a child at the table that Jesus rose first, and that his resurrection is the promise for everyone who trusts him.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
(WEB)
Paul says the same Spirit who raised Jesus lives in believers. Pray for one relative by name this morning, asking that the life of Christ would be made real to them too.
Revelation 1:18
And the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
(WEB)
Jesus describes himself as the living one who holds the keys of death and Hades. Read it slowly with someone you love, then ask them which of those keys they most need to hear about today.
Verses for Gratitude and Joy
After the solemnity of Holy Week, Easter morning invites rejoicing. These passages call the church to praise, thanksgiving and celebration, and they give words to joy that might otherwise feel hard to find.
Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
(WEB)
The psalmist calls this day the one the Lord has made. Step outside for a moment, look at the morning, and say this line out loud as an act of praise before you do anything else.
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.
(WEB)
Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Keep this verse near the top of your Easter list as a reminder that sorrow is not the final word in the story of God’s people.
Luke 24:34
Saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
(WEB)
The disciples greet one another with news that the Lord has risen and appeared to Simon. Phone or message a friend today with the same news, telling them one specific way Jesus has been present to you this year.
Isaiah 25:8
He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord the LORD will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for the LORD has spoken it.
(WEB)
Isaiah looks forward to the day God swallows up death forever and wipes away tears. Offer this promise to someone who has lost a loved one, letting them know the Lord keeps these words even when we cannot see the end yet.
How to Use These Verses
Choose two or three passages from this list and write them on a card, a note on your phone, or the inside cover of your Bible. Keep them where you will see them early in the day, such as beside the coffee maker or on the bathroom mirror. Reading one verse slowly is often more helpful than reading five quickly.
You might read a passage aloud before the day’s first task, then spend one minute in silence asking what it means for the next few hours. At the end of the day, return to the same verse and notice where you saw its truth at work. Over time, these short readings can become a steady habit that carries the joy of Easter well past Sunday.
A Short Prayer for Easter Morning
Lord Jesus, you rose from the grave on this morning and conquered death for everyone who trusts you. I come to you today grateful for the empty tomb and for the hope it brings to my life. Help me to hear your word clearly and to receive its comfort where I am weak, tired or grieving. Let the good news I have read this morning shape how I speak, how I love and how I wait for you. Thank you that you are alive, and that because you live, I can face whatever this day holds. Amen.
