Easter is a beautiful holiday of hope and joy when we realize what Jesus has done for us! Sharing it with our kids and the children we know is a great privilege.
Printable Easter Scripture for kids is a great way to teach them about who Jesus is and what He did for us during the Holy Week.
We’ve divided this up into two sections. Not every child, because of age or a tender heart, is ready for all the details of Easter, so sometimes it is best to tell the story of Easter in broader strokes.
The first section tells the story of Easter in general. The second section adds the details of Easter that an older child might be ready for.
Consider the children you are teaching about Jesus, and choose according to that knowledge when you are determining what the best Bible verses for Easter are to share with them.
At the bottom of this post, you can find a free downloadable version of the printable Easter Scripture for kids, as well as some other resources to share the Easter story with younger children.
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Bible Verses about Easter for Kids
What a joy it is to tell these young hearts about Jesus! Easter is a great way to introduce how very much Jesus loves them, that He endured the cross for each one of us.
It also shows them how powerful Christ Jesus was, that death could not defeat Him.
Use printable Easter Scripture for kids to tell children about how much Jesus loves them and what the Son of God did for them at Easter. You can use the printable Easter Bible verses for kids at the end of this post to tuck in an Easter basket or inside plastic Easter eggs with some candy at your Easter Egg hunt.
Easter Bible Verses for Younger Kids
Don’t miss the free printable Easter Scripture for kids at the end of this article.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
This is one of the best Bible verses to summarize Easter! While it doesn’t detail the Easter story, it tells why Easter happened – because God loves us!
It reminds us that Jesus came to earth to save us from the payment that our sin would require.
It also tells us of the eternal life that we will have with Him in heaven. This is a great Bible verse to use to introduce the story of Easter to children.
Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
This Bible verse about Easter tells kids that Jesus died for our sins, even before they would start a relationship with Him.
It can be a good Bible verse for young children as it provides just enough of what happened without all of the graphic details of the cross.
Ask them what if they would give their favorite toy to someone who they didn’t know who seemed like a bad person. While not a perfect analogy, this can introduce the concept that Jesus gave us the very best gift even while we were still mired in sin.
This verse also can teach that this isn’t something they earned, but that God gave this to them even though they don’t deserve it.
Luke 18:33
“And the third day he shall rise again.” Luke 18:33b KJV
This portion of Luke 18:33 takes place before Easter. Jesus spoke this to the disciples but they didn’t want to understand or want to believe Him.
This is prophecy, which you can explain to children as something that was said that came true. Jesus Himself said this statement.
It’s a good verse to show them that Jesus knew what was coming and did it anyway. It also shows that Jesus knew the power He had over death.
Matthew 28:6
“He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.” Matthew 28:6
Jesus was resurrected, which you might simply explain to children as being alive again after being dead. You might also add that Jesus wasn’t dead for just a few moments but for days.
This verse also teaches that what Jesus says can be trusted. The angel in this verse even wanted to prove it to other people by showing them physical proof. If Jesus had still been dead, the body still would have been there.
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.” John 11:25
Because of what Jesus did for us, and because He is so powerful that He overcame death, He can offer salvation and eternal life to us.
In talking to children about this, you might remind them that people can say things but not mean them or have the power to do them.
If you said that you will take them on a rocket trip to the moon, they couldn’t trust you unless you are one of the handful of people on earth that can make that happen.
But Jesus means the promise He made about salvation, and can deliver on it.
1 Peter 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
Children may or may not have heard the term “born again” before. Easter is a great opportunity to illustrate that even though Jesus’ body died, He came alive again.
Jesus does the same thing to our souls when we accept Jesus into our hearts. He gives us a fresh start and erases what we owe Him. He marks our names down in His special book saying we have a place with Him.
All of this is possible because of Easter, because Jesus was loving enough to die for us, and powerful enough to come back from the dead.
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus wants us to know that there is only one way to God, and He is it.
Isn’t this something that even older adults can struggle with? Even though they believe it in their minds, their actions appear that they are hedging their bets, or keeping their options open.
Remind children that Jesus tells the truth and means what He says. He wants them to come to Him.
1 John 3:23
“This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.” 1 John 3:23
If we believe in the name of Jesus Christ, then we say that Jesus is Lord and trust in Him for our salvation.
God also wants us to love one another. Easter reminds us of how big His love is for us. We can follow His example and love one another.
1 John 4:9
“By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9
This reminds us of God’s love for us. He didn’t have to save us. He didn’t have to find a way to settle the huge debt of sin we had with Him.
Teach children that He loves us so much. A price had to be paid for each of us individually for all the bad things we do. Jesus paid that price for all of us, and all we have to do is accept this free gift from Him.
Psalm 103:2-5
“Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:2-5 WEBBE
The book of Psalms may seem like a surprising place to find an Easter verse, but prophecy of Jesus is throughout all of the Old Testament before He appears in the New Testament.
This list of what Jesus does for us includes forgiving all of our sins, which He made possible for us at Easter.
Teach children that Jesus loves them so much and wants them to come to Him. He will do what He says.
Easter Bible Verses For Older Kids
The first 10 Easter Bible verses for kids in this article give more of an overview of Easter. These additional 11 Bible Verses for Easter can be for older kids. Don’t miss the printable Easter Scripture for kids download at the end of this article.
Some just add details, but others describe the more graphic details of the treatment of Jesus. Pray about what’s best for the children who you are teaching about Easter.
John 12:13
“They took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” John 12:13
This is a beautiful picture of Jesus being honored on Palm Sunday even though people didn’t quite understand what He was doing.
They were honoring Him because they thought He would be their physical King of Israel, and be a savior for the problems they were going through. Instead, Jesus came to save their souls for eternity.
Tell the children the story of Palm Sunday, that our Lord deserves our praise! And that we can trust Him, even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
Luke 22:1-2
“Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.” Luke 22:1-2
Easter came during the traditional observation of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The chief priests and scribes were growing disturbed with the amount of power and influence Jesus was having over the people.
They wanted Him out of the picture so much that they were plotting to kill Him. This sets the stage for one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, Judas, to betray Jesus after the Last Supper.
Matthew 26:14-15
“Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:14-15
This is a really sad part of the Easter story, that one of Jesus’ very close friends and students would set up Jesus to be arrested by people who hated Him.
Explain to children that Judas was not a good friend to Jesus, that Judas was always more concerned with the money than anything else. Judas went on to regret this decision deeply, but he couldn’t undo what he had done.
Remind them that nothing should be more important than Jesus, and to think things through before they do them.
Mark 15:2
“Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘So you say.’” Mark 15:2
During Jesus’ trial, the chief priests needed Jesus to be found guilty not on a religious charge, but a political one. By saying He was the King of the Jews, Jesus offended the Roman government and could be put to death on this basis.
Jesus was not trying to achieve a political position or one of earthly power. His kingdom is eternal throughout the universe. He was and is King of the Jews, but also to everyone who believes in His name.
In explaining this to children, you can talk about how Jesus stood up to really powerful people, though He was more powerful than them. He went through this so that He could pay the price of our sin for us.
John 19:5
“Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!” John 19:5
Jesus went through so much for us! He allowed Himself to be mocked with a purple robe and a crown of thorns. They were making fun of Him for saying He was the King of the Jews, the King of the nation of Israel.
Remind these young children that Jesus was willing to go through this because of His great love for us.
Matthew 27:42
“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.” Matthew 27:42
This was another instance of the people making fun of Jesus while He died on the cross for us.
Teach the children that though Jesus could have come down off the cross, He didn’t, because He was fulfilling the will of God for our salvation.
Matthew 27:50
“Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.” Matthew 27:50
This Bible verse from Matthew 27:50 gives us the clear detail that Jesus died.
Some may claim trickery around the Easter story, that Jesus wasn’t really dead, that it wasn’t really Jesus, or some other theory.
But Jesus did die and it’s important to be clear about this with children; otherwise, His resurrection does not mean anything.
Luke 23:53
“He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.” Luke 23:53
Even though many of Jesus’ followers had scattered by this point, a few people remained faithful and made sure that He was honored even in His death. They probably did not know or believe that His death wasn’t for good.
Teach children that these followers did a good thing in being faithful, even when they couldn’t see that Jesus was going to return. Sometimes they will need to do something nice for someone, even when it’s hard and they’re not sure they will get something for it.
Mark 16:5-6 and John 20:18
“Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. 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!” Mark 16:5-6
“Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.” John 20:18
Jesus rose from the grave! People saw the empty tomb and Jesus talked to people, including Mary Magdalene.
There were many witnesses to Jesus, as we also see in the Bible verses that follow this. You can teach children that it wasn’t just a couple of people who saw Jesus, it was many.
John 20:29
“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.’” John 20:29
This is a wonderful Bible verse about Easter to teach to children, for if they believe in Jesus, they are one of the people who Jesus is talking about!
It can be hard to believe something when you can’t see it in person. But the Word of God is true and can be believed.
Matthew 28:19-20
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20
You can explain to the kids that before Jesus returned to heaven, He talked to a lot of people. He gave them homework to do, to tell other people about Him and help them grow in Him.
It’s our homework, too! We get to share the hope of Jesus Christ with the people we know and help others share it across the world.
More Ways to Explain the Easter Story to Children
Sharing the Easter story with children can be a great way to show them who Jesus is. There are many Easter story resources available to help you with that. Here are just a few, plus don’t miss the free printable Easter Scripture for kids after this section.
God’s Story: Easter by Crossroads Kids’ Club. This animated video tells the Easter story with enough detail but doesn’t focus on more vivid details.
The Beginner’s Bible tells Bible stories truthfully in an age-appropriate way. It could be a great way to introduce a younger child to concepts about Easter. The illustrations are not graphic and go out of their way to be discreet while being honest.
Age Level Insights for Sharing the Easter Story With Children by Children’s Ministry is an interesting article offering insight on what concepts and details to share with each age group.
Printable Easter Scripture for Kids
We’re providing this free resource in PDF format of Printable Easter Scripture for Kids with the Bible verses from this article.
Download here.
Like free printables like our printable Easter Scripture for kids? Check our free church printables page.
Using printable Easter Scripture for kids can be a simple way to share the resurrection story with younger children, a Sunday School class, or your Christian classroom.
You can print the free Easter Scripture cards out to use for memory verses, put them on a binder ring for easy access, or incorporate them into your own fun Easter activity.
Some children may not know much about what Easter is about beyond the Easter Bunny and their Easter baskets. While those can be fun traditions for children during the Easter season, help them to know the true meaning of Easter Sunday.
Printable Easter Scripture for kids can be a good way for kids to be able to begin to understand the Easter story of Jesus and why it should matter to them.
As you approach Resurrection Sunday, be in prayer as you undertake the wonderful privilege of sharing from God’s Word the ultimate story of hope, joy, and peace with these precious children.
Whether you are a parent, a Sunday School teacher, or another adult who wants to share these popular Bible verses about Easter with these young people, may God bless You as you serve Him!
If you liked Printable Easter Scripture for Kids, you may also like Easter Cross Templates and Easter Welcome Speech for Church. Please share Printable Easter Scripture for Kids with a friend or fellow ministry colleague!