Telling kids the story that inspired the Easter holiday— Jesus’ resurrection, is incredibly important— in fact, the foundation of our Christian faith rides on this one event! Paul, inspired by God, said it best in 1 Corinthians 15:14,“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
It’s completely useless to believe in a god who isn’t powerful enough to raise himself from the dead. That’s what sets Jesus apart from false gods and prophets.
So this Easter, give your kids something more than boiled eggs to paint and bunny chocolates to munch on. Help them understand the true meaning of Easter with the following verses and passages!
Easter Verses for Kids
This is not an exhaustive list, just a selection of verses short enough to be memorized by Elementary-age kids:
…On the third day he will be raised to life!
Matthew 20:19b
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”
John 20:18a
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
Luke 24:5b-6a
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!”
Mark 16:6a
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:6
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
“The Lord is risen indeed!
Luke 24:34a
He is not here; he has risen!
Luke 24:6-7
Don’t be afraid! I am the First and Last. I am the living one. I died, but look–I am alive forever and ever!
Revelation 1:17b-18a
By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
1 Corinthians 6:14
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Acts 4:33
He was buried, [and] he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 15:4
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.
Acts 1:3
Here’s one more verse, with a bit of explanation. I love this verse because of the context. Peter, only a few short months after the resurrection, is preaching at the temple in Jerusalem. Around him are a whole bunch of ‘religious’ people who would have been the ones shouting ‘crucify him’ at Jesus when he stood trial.
So now Peter is there, preaching to them and just lays it on them. No holding back. No beating around the bush. Nope, he just goes after them:
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Acts 3:15
How amazing is that!?! Peter is calling out the people who wanted Jesus killed, in public, and right to their face.
You are the man, Peter!
Some Old Testament Easter Prediction Verses
The Old Testament prophets and writers not only predicted Jesus’ death, but his resurrection, too! This is important for the same reason stated earlier: without the resurrection, our faith is worth ZILCH! Just think about all the people alive during the time when the OT was written—they lived before Jesus ever came to earth, and needed to hear that it would be worthwhile to believe in a God who would not only come to die for them, but who would rise from the dead.
Here are some verses and passages that you can share with your kids to help them understand these amazing truths:
1. Psalm 16:9-11. “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Explanation: This Psalm obviously refers to Jesus because Acts 2:22-28 specifically says it does. In that passage, Peter states during a sermon that David had written that psalm about Jesus.
2. Job 19:25. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”
Explanation: In Job’s declaration after utter devastation at the hands of natural disasters, foreign enemies, and disease, he affirms that Jesus, who would later come to redeem mankind with his death, would live again.
3. Hosea 6:2. “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.”
Explanation: This verse refers to both Israel as a nation and the Messiah who would rescue her in the future. Hence the specific wording in “third day”— Jesus rose on the third day after his death.
4. Isaiah 53:10-11. “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”
Explanation: This famous chapter in Isaiah about Jesus’ death also speaks of his resurrection with the words, “after he has suffered, he will see the light of life.”
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