“He is risen!” 35 life-changing Easter Bible verses

He is risen!

“He is not here; for He is risen …”
Matthew 28:6.

These momentous words spoken by an angel on Easter morning are some of the most significant ever spoken. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, had indeed died, but had conquered death! An eternal, shining, new day of hope had dawned for all those who believe in Him. These Bible verses show what Easter means for each of us, personally:

What happened on Good Friday?

The wages of sin is death. Every single person who has ever lived on earth has sinned, and deserves to pay the penalty. Not only physical death, but also that our spirit is eternally separated from God, our Creator. With one exception. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth as the Son of Man, a human being like us – and in the strength of God’s Spirit, He lived a completely blameless, pure life on earth, overcoming all sin.

When Jesus was crucified on Calvary, He died, an innocent man, the only person in all history who did not deserve death. He took upon Himself the punishment for the sins of the whole world, including all of your and my sin, and turned God’s fury against sin away from us!

Jesus never had to atone for sins He had committed, but His death became the atonement for our sins. It means that if I believe in Him, all my sins will be forgiven. Wiped out. Forgotten. On Good Friday, I received grace that I in no way deserve or can ever pay back:

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins …” 
Ephesians 2:1.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Psalm 32:1-2.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23.

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:10.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Romans 5:8-9.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:13-14.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9.

“… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.”
1 Peter 2:24.

Why was Jesus Christ’s resurrection possible?

Jesus never gave in to temptation, and sin was “crucified” in His’ life. Because Jesus never sinned, death could not hold Him. It was through death (over sin) that Jesus overcame death. He rose from the grave and is now seated in heaven at the right-hand side of God the Father.

Take time to read these Bible verses carefully; look them up and read them in context. Jesus’ enormous sacrifice was not only His crucifixion, but His whole life denying His own will and doing the will of the Father – for our sakes! Love that was stronger than death!

“… the gospel of God … concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
Romans 1:1-4.

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Hebrews 2:14-15.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.”
Romans 8:3.

“But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’”
John 12:23-25.

“… knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
Romans 6:9-10.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit …”
1 Peter 3:18.

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?

Jesus lived on earth, not only to atone for our committed sins but above all to leave us footsteps to follow. Long before He was crucified on Calvary, He said that to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, hate our own life (our own will, the sin in our flesh) and take up our cross daily. In this way, the lusts and desires in our flesh are denied and “put to death” before they become sin.

We can’t follow Jesus up on the cross of Calvary, but we can follow Him into death over sin using this “daily cross,” always carrying the “dying of the Lord Jesus” in our body.

Read these Bible verses and consider the message in them, what it means to follow Jesus, and the enormous power there is in “denying yourself, taking up your cross daily and following Him.”

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.”
Romans 6:4-7.

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”
Romans 6:11-12.

“… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death …”
Philippians 3:10.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Romans 5:10.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20.

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.’”
1 Peter 2:21-22.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Luke 9:23.

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:24.

“… always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
2 Corinthians 4:10.

What is our hope through Jesus’ resurrection?

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …”
1 Peter 1:3.

Jesus’ resurrection means that sin has been conquered, and God could use a human being to do so! It means that Jesus’ plan was successful, Satan’s power was overcome, and it is now possible for us other human beings to follow in His footsteps! It means He is alive, and making intercession for us. It means we have hope for eternal life, not just as a result of forgiveness, but life with true content – the fruit of the Spirit we gain when following Jesus and partaking of His life! It means we can have fellowship with God! It means we can lift our heads and eagerly await Jesus’ return, knowing that we belong to Him and have the promise to inherit all things with Him, our beloved Savior, our Master, our brother! He is risen!

Read more about the hope of Easter and what it means that He is risen here: What is so very special about Easter

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Romans 8:34.

“He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 25:8.

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
Romans 6:8.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Romans 8:11.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”
John 11:25.

“And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.”
1 Corinthians 6:14.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Job 19:25-27.

This is of course only a tiny selection of verses which we think about especially at Easter – Bible verses about the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Take out your Bible and read about God’s plan and love for us people, and how Jesus Christ can change your life forever, both here in this world and later for all eternity!