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Easter Resources for Pastors: Sermon Guides, Liturgy, & Scripture
Planning your Easter Sunday service for April 5, 2026? Find sermon guides for Matthew 28, John 20, and 1 Corinthians 15, liturgy by type, and Easter FAQ — free and subscriber resources.
Updated for Easter 2026
Easter is the great "hinge" of the church year — indeed, it is the hinge of history. Everything that came before it is different from what comes after.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Planning your 2026 Easter sermons and services? This page brings together our complete collection of Easter resources including sermon ideas, scripture guides, and liturgy for your services on April 5, 2026.
We have guides for texts like Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20 as well as other popular Easter texts. You'll also find links to our resources on Easter themes like resurrection, Christ's kingship, salvation, and more. We also have collected posts from the blog that contain angles you can use for your Easter sermons.
Use the links below to find resources quickly. This page includes both free and premium resources. If you aren't a subscriber yet, consider a 14-day free trial to see how TPW can help your ministry.
Preaching Guides for Easter Sunday
Lectionary Guides include preaching commentary, illustrations, quotes, and liturgy (Complete Package subscribers). Scripture Guides offer the same sermon content without liturgy (Essentials subscribers).
Matthew 28:1-10 | Preaching Resurrection in the Face of Destruction
Without the Resurrection of Jesus, it is just the "Book of Matthew" and not the "Gospel of Matthew." Only the Resurrection makes it good news. But how do we shift from the scene in the garden to the violence and destruction of our world?
Mark 16:1-8 | Preaching the Short Ending
What if the short ending was really what the Holy Spirit intended? What are the lessons of this brief, but action-filled account of the Resurrection?
Luke 24:1-12 | They Remembered His Words
When the women saw the angel, they remembered Jesus' words that foretold his resurrection. What is the role of remembering in our walks with God? And what do we forget?
John 20:1-18 | An Unbelievable Truth
They thought the resurrection was a thing that would happen in the future—not something that could happen to just one man. But yet they believed. How? What does it mean for us?
1 Corinthians 15:19-26 | The Whole Game
Why is the resurrection such a big deal? As Paul points out, without it, it's all a sham. We're to be pitied. Preaching on 1 Corinthians 15 on Easter allows you to explore the reason this isn't just one miracle among many: it's the whole game.
Colossians 3:1-4 | Everything Changed
Easter is the day when everything changed. Jesus had been raised, and those who follow him are also raised to new life in him. The work is finished and our new life has begun.
Easter Sermon Ideas
Need a fresh angle for your Easter sermon? These reflections from ministry experts explore themes like redemption, resurrection, how to live after Easter, and more — offering insights and launching points for your own preaching. View free on the TPW blog.
John Chrysostom's Easter Sermon — If you're looking for inspiration, it's hard to do better than the preacher of preachers, John Chrysostom. (Also: see our blog post with an Easter prayer based on this text.)
Between the Poles of Human Experience (Between Good Friday & Easter) — Holy Week draws together the whole of human experience and Easter redeems it all.
After Easter: Take it a Day at a Time — After the high of Easter, how are pastors (and their congregations) to live? What does life look like now?
Preaching the Resurrection — What does life after Easter look like? How should that inform your preaching?
Easter Liturgy by Type
Need a specific liturgical element for your Easter services? Browse by liturgy type:
Liturgy requires Complete package subscription.
Looking for free Easter Sunday liturgy resources? Check out our Easter Liturgy blog post.
Sermon and Liturgy Resources by Theme
Sermon resources accessible to all subscribers. Liturgy requires Complete Package subscription.
Easter Frequently Asked Questions
The texts for the Resurrection of the Lord in RCL Year A are:
Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10
See our scripture and lectionary guides for Easter Sunday.
The Easter Vigil (or "The Great Vigil") is one of the oldest services in Christian history and it is held between the evening of Holy Saturday and daybreak on Easter Morning. The service's content varies by tradition, but most Protestant churches that conduct them follow this pattern, though they vary by name and liturgy:
The Service of Light: in which a fire is kindled and passed from candle to candle through the congregation. The church is entered in darkness and the lights are turned on when "Glory to God in the Highest" is sung.
The Service of the Word: a series of lessons are read, usually including seven Old Testament readings.
The Service of the Baptismal Covenant: baptisms are held and in many churches, if they are not, the congregation renews their baptismal vows.
The Service of the Table: the Lord's Supper is celebrated.
Easter morning services differ from the Great Vigil in that they tend to follow the normal pattern of Sunday morning services, but emphasize the celebration of the Resurrection and feature Easter hymns and songs. The altar will usually be draped in white or gold paraments. Easter lilies are a common decoration.
They also tend to be well-attended by visitors or less-frequent attenders. They are a great opportunity to connect with those who are new to the faith or are returning after an absence. Whether they return may depend on whether or not they find the community welcoming, so it is a Sunday to consider expanding your usual hospitality time and encouraging people to get to know someone new.
Trick question. There isn't just one day of Easter.
Those in less liturgical traditions may find it odd that more traditional congregations spend 40 days in Lent focusing on repentance and then only spend one day celebrating the Resurrection.
Easter actually lasts for 50 days. That is, it lasts from Easter Sunday until Pentecost: the party lasts longer than the prep.
And yet, do we act like it? Do we party like the Son of God rose from the dead and promised to take us with him? What does your church do throughout the season of Easter (beyond changing the color of your linens) that shows that you really are celebrating Easter longer than Lent?
For some advice on preaching after Easter Sunday, take a look at our post, "Preaching the Resurrection" by TPW director Stuart Strachan Jr.