Pastors thoughtfully craft special Easter sermons year after year. After all, Easter is one of the most celebrated and important holidays on the church calendar, so these messages need to resonate and convey the life-changing impact of Jesus’ resurrection. Some pastors may have already built a repertoire of Easter Sunday sermons to draw from each year, while others may be writing their very first one.
Either way, if you’re searching for fresh Easter sermon ideas for this year, we’ve found seven inspirational messages (as well as Easter sermon series ideas)to help inspire you. Check them out!
1. Refuse…to Stay Dead, Dr. Derwin Gray, Transformation Church
As part of his Easter sermon series entitled “Refuse,” Dr. Derwin Gray uses the difficult life of Joseph to share a powerful message of trusting God above our circ*mstances.
God refused to allow sin, evil, and to have the final word. Jesus conquered death and sin when he rose from the grave, so we no longer have to fear death. When we accept his offer of salvation, we are met with forgiveness, given a new identity, and receive a new mission!
“We are refusing to allow anything or anyone to determine our lives except for King Jesus.”
— Dr. Derwin Gray
2. A Good Death, Matt Chandler, The Village Church
Pastor Matt Chandler presents his sermon about Easter based on Collosians 3:1–4, celebrating Jesus’ victory over death and asking the question, “What does it look like to have a good death?”
Why speak about death in his Resurrection Sunday sermon? He explains that we can understand God’s promises of the resurrection, perfection, and victory only after we decide to die to ourselves. Once we have allowed the bad things in our lives to be put to death, we are given the gift of life in return!
“You have to feel the weight of ‘I can’t do this’ in order to finally receive the One who says ‘I’ve done it for you.’”
— Matt Chandler
3. The Show on the Road, Levi Lusko, Fresh Life Church
Many people this Easter are looking for hope. Pastor Levi Lusko’s Easter sermon series entitled “Easter People” brings encouragement to people who feel like they’ve reached the end and are distressed.
This thought-provoking Easter message is based on the passage in Luke 24 describing the disciples on the road to Emmaus who unknowingly walk and talk with Jesus after his resurrection. Jesus helped them see that even when all feels lost and there’s no way to move forward, it's never a good time to give up.
When we see the power of Jesus’ resurrection through God’s eyes and perspective, we can find blessings even when things feel broken and walk in joy despite any circ*mstances that may come our way.
“When they saw the holes in his hands, and they realized that it was him who had been taken away, and that he was now back and was being given to them, then they were glad.”
— Levi Lusko
4. The Journey, Dr. Tony Evans, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
Filmed in Israel, Dr. Tony Evans visits the tomb of Lazarus for his Easter sermon. He shares the story of how Jesus reversed a terrible situation, revealed that he is the resurrection, and promised that whoever believes in him will never die.
At the same time, Jesus also stated “I am,” meaning he’s able to bring life into the current situations confronting us today. Dr. Evans tells of the power behind the Easter story in that Jesus’ death justifies us and his resurrection delivers us.
“Faith is not a feeling—it’s acting like God is telling the truth. It’s not an emotion—it’s acting like it is so, even when it’s not so, in order that it might be so, simply because God said so.”
— Dr. Tony Evans
5. Death is Cancelled, Louie Giglio, Sadie Robb Huff, & Tim Tebow, Passion City Church
Passion City Church offers three short inspirational Easter sermons from different speakers for their Resurrection Sunday service. Pastor Louie Giglio begins his Easter Sunday message with the good news we received because of Jesus’ death and resurrection: Death is canceled!
Next, Sadie Rob Huff brings a resurrection sermon of the living hope that comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Lastly, Tim Tebow shares how Jesus invites us into a relationship with him to receive new life.
“It’s not about being good or bad; the text says that it’s about being dead or alive. On this Easter day, faith in Jesus does the miracle that none of us can do—it is the miracle of life.”
— Louie Giglio
6. Hello from the Other Side, Greg Laurie, Harvest
People often wonder what, if anything, awaits us in the afterlife. Pastor Laurie shares four encouraging takeaways in his sermon about Easter that we can expect after we die according to the Bible. Rather than fearing leaving this life, we can confidently look forward to spending eternity with Christ because of his resurrection and triumph over death.
“When God says he’s going to do something, you can take it to the bank. Jesus said he would come the first time—he came. He said he would be crucified—he was. He said he would rise again from the dead—he did. He said he will come back again—he will!”
— Greg Laurie
7. Easter at Manna, Michael Fletcher, Manna Church
Starting with Palm Sunday, Pastor Fletcher’s Easter sermon series provides his community with a deep look into the final week before Jesus’ betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead.
In this video from his sermon for Easter Sunday, Michael creates a vivid picture of Jesus as he became the final Passover lamb and reveals himself as the Messiah. Because of his victory over death, we can also be resurrected unto life if we believe in him.
“If the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit who lives within you.
The burning question is, ‘Is He living in you?’”
— Michael Fletcher
8. Mark 16:1-8—Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Jim Thomas, The Village Chapel
In his sermon about Easter, Pastor Jim dives into four reasons why the Resurrection is such an important event. He reinforces that Jesus' being raised from the dead was a historical event (with over 500 eyewitnesses) and, more importantly, it's spiritually significant because it brings spiritual transformation and eternal hope to every Christian around the world. Sermon notes are also available in PDF format.
“Do you believe in the one who has defeated our last and greatest enemy:Death itself?He's worthy of putting your trust in him. Why? Because of what he's done!"
—Jim Thomas
9. The Resurrection Makes It Real. Pastor Chat Ott, Redeemer Lutheran Church
Within their exploration of Romans, Pastor Chad Ott from Redeemer Marquette delves into Paul's discussion regarding the resurrection of Jesus and its profound impact on our lives. Drawing from Romans 6, the study illuminates how the resurrection serves as compelling evidence affirming Jesus' identity and the fulfillment of his promises.
“If our sins have been buried with Christ then a new life has come forth as Christ has come forth from the grave."—Pastor Chad Ott
10. Happy Easter or Resurrection Sunday?Minster Brown, Proclaim Ministries
People often debate whether we should refer to this specialholiday as Easter or Resurrection Sunday. However, what you celebrate reflects what really matters to you. The pivotal reality remains: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ fundamentally transformed everything, a truth we ought to recognize today. In this short Easter message, Minister Brown shares a powerful perspective on the resurrection based on propitiation. That is, Jesus, through his sacrifice on the cross, bore the weight of our sins and appeased the wrath of God on our behalf.
“Paul said if there's no Resurrection, we have no hope. Because our hope is fixed on the fact that our sins have been paid for by Christ, and the payment has been received by the Father. I stand free. On Easter or Resurrection Sunday, whatever you call it, I'm celebrating that my sins have been paid for in full." —Minister Brown
How to increase the reach of your Easter sermons
We hope these Easter messages prove to be inspirational resources for writing your next Easter sermon. We’re committed to providing pastors with the best tools to reach their communities with the good word.
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