Christianity celebrations have a long tradition of greetings, messages, poems, and hymns for Easter. From church greetings to favorite hymns, these messages help us remember and better understand Jesus’ actions from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Here are some of the classic Easter greetings and messages you can use today:
The paschal greeting is the most traditional Easter Greeting, used throughout Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox denominations. Pascha is the Aramaic term for the Passover feast or items involved in Passover celebrations. Since Jesus was crucified and rose again during the Passover, and the Bible describes him as the Passover Lamb, the paschal greeting sums up Jesus’ role: he was the paschal lamb slain for our sins, who then rose again on the third day.
In the paschal greeting, one Christian says, “Christ is risen!” and another responds, “Truly He is risen!” In many Easter services, the pastor or priest will say the first phrase, and the congregation will respond. The greeting is based on the Gospel passage where the angel tells the women at Jesus’ tomb that “he is not here, for he has risen.”
“In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’” (Luke 24:5-6)
“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.’” (Matthew 28:5-6)
“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.’” (Mark 16:5-6)
The phrase “he is risen indeed” comes from a later event mentioned in Luke 24, where Jesus appeared to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus, and they came back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples:
“And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’” (Luke 24:33-34)
No one is entirely sure when Christians began using the paschal greeting, but it seems to have been fairly early. The Paschal Homily of John Chrysostom (given in the fourth century) ends with a variation on it, repeating the words “Christ is risen” with meditations on what that means (“Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice….”). So, we can assume Christians were using the paschal greeting almost from the church’s beginning.
The original paschal greeting would have been given in ancient Greek. The closest thing we have to that is what Greek Orthodox Christians say today: “Christos Anesti!” (“He is Risen”) and the response “Alithos Anesti!” (“Truly, He is risen”). Because the Eastern Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar, it observes Easter on a different date than Christians in most of the western hemisphere. This date is often called Greek Easter, Greek Orthodox Easter, or simply Orthodox Easter.
Orthodox churches outside Greece will often use translations of the paschal greeting in their native language. For example, Ukrainian Christians will say “Khrystos Voskres” (“Christ is risen!”) and the response “Voistynu Voskres” (“He is truly risen”).
Outside the Eastern Orthodox Church, there are several Easter greetings based on the paschal greeting. Protestants will often say, “He is risen!” and the response, “He is risen, indeed!” Roman Catholics who follow the Latin Rites will say, “Christ is risen!” and the response, “He is risen indeed. Alleluia!” There are several variations on the response, including “He is risen, indeed!” or “Indeed, He is risen!” or “He is truly risen!” or “Truly, He is risen!”
Further Reading: 30 Easter Greetings and Religious Messages to Share with Family and Friends
We grow by being in a spiritual community, participating in worship with our church community, and hearing sermons from our pastors. However, there are also times when meditating on what has been said in the past helps us understand spiritual ideas better. The following Easter sermons are considered classics and have benefited generations of believers:
“The Wounds of Jesus” by Charles Spurgeon
“Justification by Faith Alone” by Jonathan Edwards
“Death to Sin Through Christ” by Charles Finney
“The Hope of the Resurrection” by Joseph Barber Lightfoot
Further Reading: 18 Easter Sermons
Easter hymns are another great way to meditate on Biblical ideas. The following hymns are classic works that remind us of Jesus’s victory over sin and death on Calvary.
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
Sinners, rejoice: your peace is made;
Your Savior on the cross hath bled:
Your God, in Jesus reconciled,
On all His works again hath smiled;
Hath grace through Him and blessing given,
To all in earth and all in Heaven.
Angels rejoice in Jesus’ grace,
And vie with man’s more favored race;
The blood that did for us atone,
Conferred on them some gift unknown;
Their joy through Jesus’ pains abounds,
They triumph by His glorious wounds.
Or, established and confirmed by Him
Who did our lower world redeem,
Secure they keep their blest estate,
Firm on an everlasting seat;
Or, raised above themselves, aspire,
In bliss improved, in glory higher.
Him they beheld, our conquering God,
Returned with garments rolled in blood!
They saw, and kindled at the sight,
And filled with shouts the realms of light;
With loudest hallelujahs met,
And fell, and kissed His bleeding feet.
They saw Him in the courts above.
With all His recent prints of love;
The wounds, the blood! they heard its voice,
That heightened all their highest joys;
They felt it sprinkled through the skies,
And shared that better sacrifice.
Not angel tongues can ever express
The unutterable happiness;
Nor human hearts can e’er conceive
The bliss wherein through Christ they live,
But all your Heaven, ye glorious powers,
And all your God, is doubly ours!
Poems written about the events of Easter can also be a great way to think about Jesus’ sacrifice and what it accomplished for us. These are a couple of the many classic poems about what Jesus accomplished on Easter Sunday.
Rise heart; thy Lord is risen.
Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him mayst rise:
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name,
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings,
What key Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or since all music is but three parts vied
And multiplied;
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.
I got me flowers to straw thy way:
I got me boughs off many a tree:
But thou wast up by break of day,
And broughtest thy sweets along with thee.
The Sun arising in the East,
Though he give light, and the East perfume;
If they should offer to contest
With thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this,
Though many suns to shine endeavor?
We count three hundred, but we miss:
There is but one, and that one ever.
Most glorious Lord of Life! that, on this day,
Didst make Thy triumph over death and sin;
And, having harrowed hell, didst bring away
Captivity thence captive, us to win:
This joyous day, dear Lord, with joy begin;
And grant that we, for whom thou diddest do,
Being with Thy dear blood clean washed from sin,
May live forever in felicity!
And that Thy love we weighing worthily,
May likewise love Thee for the same again;
And for Thy sake, that all like dear didst buy,
With love may one another entertain!
So let us love, dear Love, like as we ought,
—Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.
Further Reading:
20 Inspiring Easter Quotes to Celebrate Resurrection Sunday
40 Inspiring Good Friday Quotes to Remember this Easter
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Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:
What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?
What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus
Easter Prayers