15 Bible Verses That Bring Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter to Life
From the wilderness of Lent to the triumph of Palm Sunday and the victory of Easter morning, the story of Jesus invites us to walk the road to resurrection with intention. These 15 powerful NIV Bible verses will help you reflect deeply, lead confidently, and guide your church through the sacred journey of Holy Week with renewed hope.
The journey from wilderness to resurrection is one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture. Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter invite us to enter that story, from Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness to the empty tomb. These 15 verses from the NIV translation will help you walk through the season with intention and experience the transformation that happens along the way.
Bible Verses for Lent
Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and repentance. It’s a time to remember that sometimes following Jesus means walking through the wilderness before we reach the Promised Land. These verses help us embrace the spiritual formation that Lent invites us into.
Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness serve as the biblical foundation for the Lenten season. This wasn’t a detour for Jesus – it was preparation. Lent reminds us that spiritual growth often happens in seasons where we are stripped down to the essentials and forced to rely on God alone.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba is one of the most honest prayers in the Bible. Broken before God, he repents and asks for transformation in his heart. During Lent, we are invited to pray the same prayer – to ask God to create something new in us.
Joel 2:12-13
"'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."
This is one of the most beautiful invitations in the Bible. God isn’t asking for external displays of religion. He is asking for genuine repentance. Lent is a season where we get to be honest about where we’ve wandered and who we need to return to: the God who is gracious and ready to welcome us back with open arms.
Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
For many Christians, Lent is associated with giving something up, but this verse reminds us that fasting is about so much more. Isaiah challenges us to expand our understanding of fasting beyond just personal discipline and into tangible displays of love to our neighbor.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Lent is ultimately about a journey of renewal. Our old sins and our old ways of living don't have to define us anymore. Because of what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection, we can be assured that the wilderness isn't the end of the story!
Bible Verses for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is one of the most paradoxical moments in all of scripture. Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers and celebration, but those same crowds will turn on him within a week. These verses capture the tension, the victory, and the spiritual significance of Palm Sunday.
Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The people were thrilled that their Messiah had finally arrived, but they were expecting the wrong kind of king. They wanted a military leader to overthrow Rome, but Jesus offered them a kingdom built on humility, sacrifice, and love. Palm Sunday confronts our expectations of Jesus. We are invited to see Jesus rightly and to remember that he is even better than we expect.
Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
This Old Testament prophecy, spoken in Zechariah, was fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus didn’t arrive on a warhorse but instead came on a donkey – a symbol of peace and humility. Palm Sunday invites us to celebrate a king who looks nothing like the kings of this world.
Luke 19:41-42
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
While the crowds are celebrating, Jesus is weeping. He knows what's coming. He knows that the people will reject Him, choose violence over peace, and miss the very thing that could save them. This verse is a sobering reminder that the world often doesn’t choose Jesus, but he still offers himself to the world.
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus paints a profound picture of what is about to happen. Death does not have the final word. The seed that falls into the ground will produce a great harvest!
Philippians 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
This passage captures the heart of Palm Sunday. Jesus, the King of Kings, rides into Jerusalem knowing full well that He's about to be betrayed, beaten, and crucified. And He does it anyway. Palm Sunday challenges us to follow a king who leads by laying down His life.
Bible Verses for Easter
Easter weekend is the culmination of everything that Lent and Palm Sunday build toward. It is the moment where Jesus pays the ultimate sacrifice, death is defeated, and hope is restored. These verses remind us that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection echo into eternity, reshaping the world – and reshaping us.
Matthew 27:46
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Before we get to the empty tomb, we have to sit with the cross. Easter doesn't make sense without this moment. The resurrection is only good news because of what Jesus endured on the cross.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
These three words are the hinge on which all of history turns. Everything changes because Jesus finished what He came to do. The work of redemption is complete. The debt is paid. The way to the Father is open.
Matthew 28:5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
This is the moment everything changes. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And the angel's words are an invitation: "Come and see." Easter isn't just something we believe. It's something we're invited to witness, to experience, to proclaim!
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
This is the promise of Easter! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, transforming us, making us new, and giving us hope that transcends even death itself.
1 Corinthians 15:55-5
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter is the ultimate "nevertheless" moment. Yes, there was death. Yes, there was sin. Yes, there was darkness. Nevertheless, Jesus rose. And because He rose, we have hope.
Walking the Road to Resurrection
This Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter, may these Scriptures guide you, challenge you, and ultimately point you toward the One who walked this road first so that we could walk it with Him.
As you lead your church through this sacred season, you do not have to carry the creative weight alone. If you are looking for ready-to-use tools to help your congregation engage more deeply with the Easter message, Tithely’s free Easter Social Media Invites and Good Friday Service Pack were created with pastors and ministry leaders in mind.
You can download them for free and start using them right away to serve your church well this Easter season.
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Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
The journey from wilderness to resurrection is one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture. Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter invite us to enter that story, from Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness to the empty tomb. These 15 verses from the NIV translation will help you walk through the season with intention and experience the transformation that happens along the way.
Bible Verses for Lent
Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and repentance. It’s a time to remember that sometimes following Jesus means walking through the wilderness before we reach the Promised Land. These verses help us embrace the spiritual formation that Lent invites us into.
Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness serve as the biblical foundation for the Lenten season. This wasn’t a detour for Jesus – it was preparation. Lent reminds us that spiritual growth often happens in seasons where we are stripped down to the essentials and forced to rely on God alone.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba is one of the most honest prayers in the Bible. Broken before God, he repents and asks for transformation in his heart. During Lent, we are invited to pray the same prayer – to ask God to create something new in us.
Joel 2:12-13
"'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."
This is one of the most beautiful invitations in the Bible. God isn’t asking for external displays of religion. He is asking for genuine repentance. Lent is a season where we get to be honest about where we’ve wandered and who we need to return to: the God who is gracious and ready to welcome us back with open arms.
Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
For many Christians, Lent is associated with giving something up, but this verse reminds us that fasting is about so much more. Isaiah challenges us to expand our understanding of fasting beyond just personal discipline and into tangible displays of love to our neighbor.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Lent is ultimately about a journey of renewal. Our old sins and our old ways of living don't have to define us anymore. Because of what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection, we can be assured that the wilderness isn't the end of the story!
Bible Verses for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is one of the most paradoxical moments in all of scripture. Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers and celebration, but those same crowds will turn on him within a week. These verses capture the tension, the victory, and the spiritual significance of Palm Sunday.
Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The people were thrilled that their Messiah had finally arrived, but they were expecting the wrong kind of king. They wanted a military leader to overthrow Rome, but Jesus offered them a kingdom built on humility, sacrifice, and love. Palm Sunday confronts our expectations of Jesus. We are invited to see Jesus rightly and to remember that he is even better than we expect.
Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
This Old Testament prophecy, spoken in Zechariah, was fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus didn’t arrive on a warhorse but instead came on a donkey – a symbol of peace and humility. Palm Sunday invites us to celebrate a king who looks nothing like the kings of this world.
Luke 19:41-42
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
While the crowds are celebrating, Jesus is weeping. He knows what's coming. He knows that the people will reject Him, choose violence over peace, and miss the very thing that could save them. This verse is a sobering reminder that the world often doesn’t choose Jesus, but he still offers himself to the world.
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus paints a profound picture of what is about to happen. Death does not have the final word. The seed that falls into the ground will produce a great harvest!
Philippians 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
This passage captures the heart of Palm Sunday. Jesus, the King of Kings, rides into Jerusalem knowing full well that He's about to be betrayed, beaten, and crucified. And He does it anyway. Palm Sunday challenges us to follow a king who leads by laying down His life.
Bible Verses for Easter
Easter weekend is the culmination of everything that Lent and Palm Sunday build toward. It is the moment where Jesus pays the ultimate sacrifice, death is defeated, and hope is restored. These verses remind us that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection echo into eternity, reshaping the world – and reshaping us.
Matthew 27:46
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Before we get to the empty tomb, we have to sit with the cross. Easter doesn't make sense without this moment. The resurrection is only good news because of what Jesus endured on the cross.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
These three words are the hinge on which all of history turns. Everything changes because Jesus finished what He came to do. The work of redemption is complete. The debt is paid. The way to the Father is open.
Matthew 28:5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
This is the moment everything changes. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And the angel's words are an invitation: "Come and see." Easter isn't just something we believe. It's something we're invited to witness, to experience, to proclaim!
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
This is the promise of Easter! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, transforming us, making us new, and giving us hope that transcends even death itself.
1 Corinthians 15:55-5
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter is the ultimate "nevertheless" moment. Yes, there was death. Yes, there was sin. Yes, there was darkness. Nevertheless, Jesus rose. And because He rose, we have hope.
Walking the Road to Resurrection
This Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter, may these Scriptures guide you, challenge you, and ultimately point you toward the One who walked this road first so that we could walk it with Him.
As you lead your church through this sacred season, you do not have to carry the creative weight alone. If you are looking for ready-to-use tools to help your congregation engage more deeply with the Easter message, Tithely’s free Easter Social Media Invites and Good Friday Service Pack were created with pastors and ministry leaders in mind.
You can download them for free and start using them right away to serve your church well this Easter season.
podcast transcript
Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
The journey from wilderness to resurrection is one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture. Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter invite us to enter that story, from Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness to the empty tomb. These 15 verses from the NIV translation will help you walk through the season with intention and experience the transformation that happens along the way.
Bible Verses for Lent
Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and repentance. It’s a time to remember that sometimes following Jesus means walking through the wilderness before we reach the Promised Land. These verses help us embrace the spiritual formation that Lent invites us into.
Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness serve as the biblical foundation for the Lenten season. This wasn’t a detour for Jesus – it was preparation. Lent reminds us that spiritual growth often happens in seasons where we are stripped down to the essentials and forced to rely on God alone.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba is one of the most honest prayers in the Bible. Broken before God, he repents and asks for transformation in his heart. During Lent, we are invited to pray the same prayer – to ask God to create something new in us.
Joel 2:12-13
"'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."
This is one of the most beautiful invitations in the Bible. God isn’t asking for external displays of religion. He is asking for genuine repentance. Lent is a season where we get to be honest about where we’ve wandered and who we need to return to: the God who is gracious and ready to welcome us back with open arms.
Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
For many Christians, Lent is associated with giving something up, but this verse reminds us that fasting is about so much more. Isaiah challenges us to expand our understanding of fasting beyond just personal discipline and into tangible displays of love to our neighbor.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Lent is ultimately about a journey of renewal. Our old sins and our old ways of living don't have to define us anymore. Because of what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection, we can be assured that the wilderness isn't the end of the story!
Bible Verses for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is one of the most paradoxical moments in all of scripture. Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers and celebration, but those same crowds will turn on him within a week. These verses capture the tension, the victory, and the spiritual significance of Palm Sunday.
Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The people were thrilled that their Messiah had finally arrived, but they were expecting the wrong kind of king. They wanted a military leader to overthrow Rome, but Jesus offered them a kingdom built on humility, sacrifice, and love. Palm Sunday confronts our expectations of Jesus. We are invited to see Jesus rightly and to remember that he is even better than we expect.
Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
This Old Testament prophecy, spoken in Zechariah, was fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus didn’t arrive on a warhorse but instead came on a donkey – a symbol of peace and humility. Palm Sunday invites us to celebrate a king who looks nothing like the kings of this world.
Luke 19:41-42
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
While the crowds are celebrating, Jesus is weeping. He knows what's coming. He knows that the people will reject Him, choose violence over peace, and miss the very thing that could save them. This verse is a sobering reminder that the world often doesn’t choose Jesus, but he still offers himself to the world.
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus paints a profound picture of what is about to happen. Death does not have the final word. The seed that falls into the ground will produce a great harvest!
Philippians 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
This passage captures the heart of Palm Sunday. Jesus, the King of Kings, rides into Jerusalem knowing full well that He's about to be betrayed, beaten, and crucified. And He does it anyway. Palm Sunday challenges us to follow a king who leads by laying down His life.
Bible Verses for Easter
Easter weekend is the culmination of everything that Lent and Palm Sunday build toward. It is the moment where Jesus pays the ultimate sacrifice, death is defeated, and hope is restored. These verses remind us that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection echo into eternity, reshaping the world – and reshaping us.
Matthew 27:46
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Before we get to the empty tomb, we have to sit with the cross. Easter doesn't make sense without this moment. The resurrection is only good news because of what Jesus endured on the cross.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
These three words are the hinge on which all of history turns. Everything changes because Jesus finished what He came to do. The work of redemption is complete. The debt is paid. The way to the Father is open.
Matthew 28:5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
This is the moment everything changes. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And the angel's words are an invitation: "Come and see." Easter isn't just something we believe. It's something we're invited to witness, to experience, to proclaim!
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
This is the promise of Easter! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, transforming us, making us new, and giving us hope that transcends even death itself.
1 Corinthians 15:55-5
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter is the ultimate "nevertheless" moment. Yes, there was death. Yes, there was sin. Yes, there was darkness. Nevertheless, Jesus rose. And because He rose, we have hope.
Walking the Road to Resurrection
This Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter, may these Scriptures guide you, challenge you, and ultimately point you toward the One who walked this road first so that we could walk it with Him.
As you lead your church through this sacred season, you do not have to carry the creative weight alone. If you are looking for ready-to-use tools to help your congregation engage more deeply with the Easter message, Tithely’s free Easter Social Media Invites and Good Friday Service Pack were created with pastors and ministry leaders in mind.
You can download them for free and start using them right away to serve your church well this Easter season.
VIDEO transcript
The journey from wilderness to resurrection is one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture. Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter invite us to enter that story, from Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness to the empty tomb. These 15 verses from the NIV translation will help you walk through the season with intention and experience the transformation that happens along the way.
Bible Verses for Lent
Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and repentance. It’s a time to remember that sometimes following Jesus means walking through the wilderness before we reach the Promised Land. These verses help us embrace the spiritual formation that Lent invites us into.
Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness serve as the biblical foundation for the Lenten season. This wasn’t a detour for Jesus – it was preparation. Lent reminds us that spiritual growth often happens in seasons where we are stripped down to the essentials and forced to rely on God alone.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba is one of the most honest prayers in the Bible. Broken before God, he repents and asks for transformation in his heart. During Lent, we are invited to pray the same prayer – to ask God to create something new in us.
Joel 2:12-13
"'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."
This is one of the most beautiful invitations in the Bible. God isn’t asking for external displays of religion. He is asking for genuine repentance. Lent is a season where we get to be honest about where we’ve wandered and who we need to return to: the God who is gracious and ready to welcome us back with open arms.
Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
For many Christians, Lent is associated with giving something up, but this verse reminds us that fasting is about so much more. Isaiah challenges us to expand our understanding of fasting beyond just personal discipline and into tangible displays of love to our neighbor.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Lent is ultimately about a journey of renewal. Our old sins and our old ways of living don't have to define us anymore. Because of what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection, we can be assured that the wilderness isn't the end of the story!
Bible Verses for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is one of the most paradoxical moments in all of scripture. Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers and celebration, but those same crowds will turn on him within a week. These verses capture the tension, the victory, and the spiritual significance of Palm Sunday.
Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The people were thrilled that their Messiah had finally arrived, but they were expecting the wrong kind of king. They wanted a military leader to overthrow Rome, but Jesus offered them a kingdom built on humility, sacrifice, and love. Palm Sunday confronts our expectations of Jesus. We are invited to see Jesus rightly and to remember that he is even better than we expect.
Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
This Old Testament prophecy, spoken in Zechariah, was fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus didn’t arrive on a warhorse but instead came on a donkey – a symbol of peace and humility. Palm Sunday invites us to celebrate a king who looks nothing like the kings of this world.
Luke 19:41-42
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
While the crowds are celebrating, Jesus is weeping. He knows what's coming. He knows that the people will reject Him, choose violence over peace, and miss the very thing that could save them. This verse is a sobering reminder that the world often doesn’t choose Jesus, but he still offers himself to the world.
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus paints a profound picture of what is about to happen. Death does not have the final word. The seed that falls into the ground will produce a great harvest!
Philippians 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
This passage captures the heart of Palm Sunday. Jesus, the King of Kings, rides into Jerusalem knowing full well that He's about to be betrayed, beaten, and crucified. And He does it anyway. Palm Sunday challenges us to follow a king who leads by laying down His life.
Bible Verses for Easter
Easter weekend is the culmination of everything that Lent and Palm Sunday build toward. It is the moment where Jesus pays the ultimate sacrifice, death is defeated, and hope is restored. These verses remind us that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection echo into eternity, reshaping the world – and reshaping us.
Matthew 27:46
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Before we get to the empty tomb, we have to sit with the cross. Easter doesn't make sense without this moment. The resurrection is only good news because of what Jesus endured on the cross.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
These three words are the hinge on which all of history turns. Everything changes because Jesus finished what He came to do. The work of redemption is complete. The debt is paid. The way to the Father is open.
Matthew 28:5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
This is the moment everything changes. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And the angel's words are an invitation: "Come and see." Easter isn't just something we believe. It's something we're invited to witness, to experience, to proclaim!
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
This is the promise of Easter! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, transforming us, making us new, and giving us hope that transcends even death itself.
1 Corinthians 15:55-5
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter is the ultimate "nevertheless" moment. Yes, there was death. Yes, there was sin. Yes, there was darkness. Nevertheless, Jesus rose. And because He rose, we have hope.
Walking the Road to Resurrection
This Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter, may these Scriptures guide you, challenge you, and ultimately point you toward the One who walked this road first so that we could walk it with Him.
As you lead your church through this sacred season, you do not have to carry the creative weight alone. If you are looking for ready-to-use tools to help your congregation engage more deeply with the Easter message, Tithely’s free Easter Social Media Invites and Good Friday Service Pack were created with pastors and ministry leaders in mind.
You can download them for free and start using them right away to serve your church well this Easter season.
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Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
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