Easter Service 2024

We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise.

We're going to sing in Psalm 23, the Sing Psalms version.

You'll find it on the Order of Service or in the Psalm books on page 28.

Psalm 23, the Sing Psalms version.

We're going to sing the whole of this psalm, a great psalm that reminds us of

who the Lord is and how he is, our shepherd, how he watches over us and leads us.

The Lord's my shepherd, no one shall I know.

He makes me lie down where the green pastures grow.

He leads me to rest where the calm waters flow.

We'll stand to sing the whole of this psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd, no one shall I know.

He makes me lie down where the green pastures grow.

He leads me to rest where the calm waters flow.

My wandering steps he brings back to his way.

In straight paths of righteousness making me stay.

Though I walk in death's valley where darkness is near.

Because you are with me, no evil I'll fear.

Your God and your suffering be comfort and cheer.

In the sight of my enemies a table you spread.

The oil of rejoicing you pour on my head.

My cup overflows and I'm graciously fed.

So surely your covenant, mercy and grace.

Will follow me closely in all of my ways.

I will dwell in the house of the Lord all my days.

Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.

Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven as we gather today.

We thank you for the wonder of your creation.

We thank you for the beauty and the stillness of this day.

We thank you that on this Sunday morning, this Lord's Day morning, we can gather in your name.

We can gather with the assurance and the promise that you give in your word that you will be with us.

That you will come near to us as we seek to come near to you.

We thank you for your word and how it reminds us of all the blessings that are ours in Jesus Christ.

Even as we have sung together from this psalm, we are reminded of the wonder of the Lord.

The Lord who is our shepherd.

The Lord who leads us through this life.

He watches over us.

And as we put our trust in him, he gives us every promise and assurance and comfort of the word.

And especially that great comfort of a place for all of his people.

A place that he leads his people to.

His dwelling place forevermore.

And we thank you that that is true because of what he has done for us.

And especially today, we remember the significance of all that's been done for us.

That Jesus came into this world.

That he died on the cross.

That he was buried.

And that he rose again on the third day.

And we thank you that today as we come, especially remembering that,

we are thankful that every Sunday we have that reminder to us.

That he is risen.

And we pray, Lord, that you will bless all that we do in your name today.

Bless us together as families and friends and as a community here, Lord.

We thank you for each other.

We thank you for our young people and pray your blessing on them.

Especially at this holiday time, Lord.

Watch over each one.

And we thank you for our schools, for the teachers and all the staff.

And all the children there.

We pray that they will enjoy a time of holiday just now.

Whether it's staying at home here or going away to different places, Lord.

Keep each one safe and watch over us all.

Thank you for those visiting with us as well, Lord.

And we pray your blessing on each of them as well.

People traveling to and fro, Lord.

Watch over us each one.

Lord, bless us now as we worship your name.

Bless us as we go on in this day, Lord.

Look after us and all our loved ones as we commit them to you.

I think especially for this coming week of James and Donna.

As they will be away as Donna goes through her treatment, Lord.

We pray that you will watch over them.

Bless them.

Uphold them.

And others like them, Lord.

Going through that experience at this time as well, Lord.

We commit all who are unwell.

All who are cast down at this time.

All who are with many different troubles in this life, Lord.

We pray for your comfort and your blessing to each one.

So hear our prayers, Lord, and continue with us now as we ask all of these things for the forgiveness of our sins.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, today is, of course, Easter Sunday.

And it's a special day for us as we come together to remember what the Lord Jesus has done for us.

And today we're going to be looking at a particular story from the Bible.

A story that's often called The Two on the Road to Emmaus.

Two people who were traveling on this journey along the road, leaving Jerusalem and making their way to a place called Emmaus.

And as they were making their way along, Jesus came alongside them.

And it's an amazing story.

But the foundation of this story, as we find it in Luke's Gospel, chapter 24, actually begins with the resurrection on the first day of the week.

And I'm just going to read one verse earlier in Luke, chapter 24, at verse 6.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

And that's where it says,

He is not here, but he has risen.

Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee,

that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified,

and on the third day rise.

He is not here, but he is risen.

That is what Easter is about.

Jesus came, he died, he was buried,

but on the third day he rose again.

Who here has ever told a lie?

If you don't put up your hand, you probably are telling a lie.

Who else has maybe heard something that you think is true,

only for it to turn out to be a lie?

Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe and what is truth.

Now, there's a day tomorrow, the 1st of April, it's called April Fool's Day.

And people love to make up stories to try and trick people and to catch people out.

And you'll hear all kinds of different stories being told,

and sometimes it's very difficult to work out what is true and what is a lie.

And we often fall into the trap of believing things that just aren't true,

or not believing things that actually are.

We've been living in Plasterfield for nearly two years now,

and it's been nice getting to know all the neighbours round about there.

There's one in particular, though, when the 1st of April comes,

I'll be a little bit wary about what he might say to me,

whether to believe it's true or not.

I'm expecting a text in early tomorrow morning saying,

the ferry's cancelled.

And I'll be wondering, is that true?

And I think, oh, no, it's so-and-so who's texting.

It's probably just an April Fool's.

But we struggle to know, to believe what is true and what is a lie.

Now, 2,000 years ago, on a Friday, something happened,

something that really changed this world.

And that is that Jesus, who had come into this world,

and he came with a purpose.

He came to give his life for his people.

And so on that Friday, Jesus was crucified.

It was a dark day, a very sad day in many ways,

especially if we didn't understand just why it was happening.

But we know it's true.

It's recorded in history for us.

And many people saw Jesus being put to death.

And then on the Saturday, his body lay in the grave for that day.

But then something amazing happened.

On the Sunday morning, on the third day,

when they went to the tomb to see what was there,

they found the tomb, the stone had been rolled away,

and the tomb was empty.

He had risen.

He was alive.

And he met with people.

And that's not a lie either,

because it's recorded for us here in the Bible.

Many people met with Jesus.

But there are many people who think it is a lie.

And our lives are so often made up of trying to work out

what is true and what is a lie.

And there's actually board games and TV shows

that are based on this kind of idea

of trying to work out what's truth and what's a lie.

There's one TV show called Would I Lie to You?

And on it, you've got two teams of three on each team,

and they're telling stories,

often about themselves and things that they've done.

Sometimes they're telling the truth,

and sometimes they're telling a lie.

And the team opposite them has to try and work out which it is.

And it can be very hard,

because it can be very convincing.

And isn't that the way our lives so often are?

We hear so much,

and we're wondering to ourselves,

what's true and what's a lie?

And as we hear what we read in our Bibles,

we need to believe that this is truth.

This is what is true.

And what these two on the road to Emmaus found

was that as they were on this journey,

after they left Jerusalem,

going to Emmaus,

which is about seven miles of a journey,

so it'll be a bit like walking from here

to Skoltenaloch or Skolavac,

seven miles,

walking all that way,

and plenty time to discuss things.

But as they're on this journey,

Jesus comes alongside them.

But it takes them a little while

to realize just who it is.

But what he does is he speaks to them

about the Bible,

the truth.

And it's the truth,

as we read here,

makes their hearts burn within them.

Their hearts get excited

about what they are hearing

and who it is

that is speaking to them.

It is Jesus,

who they thought was dead,

who is alive,

and he is risen.

And what happens is

their lives are transformed.

And they want to rush back

to Jerusalem

and tell others about him.

Why is Easter important?

Is it because of the holidays,

which are good?

Is it because of the Easter eggs

that you get,

which can be good as well?

Is that why Easter is important?

No, it's about Jesus.

That's what's important about Easter.

That we remember

that Jesus came

to give his life.

That he died,

but that on the third day

he rose again.

And we can rejoice in that.

We can be delighted in that.

That joy that he gave

to the two on the road to Emmaus

can be ours

if we come and believe in him.

So that's the journey

we're going to go on today.

We're going to look at

the two on the road to Emmaus

and we're going to see

three things about them.

They're doubting,

they're searching,

and then they're believing.

And today,

if we're in any of these situations,

maybe we're doubting today.

May we come to search

the word of God

and may we come to believe

in the Jesus who is risen,

who is our Savior.

Well, we're going to read together

just now,

and at this point,

anyone who's going out

to the tweenies

can go out.

We're going to read together

in the Gospel of Luke.

We're going to read

from verse 13

down to verse 24.

So we're going to read

in the Gospel of Luke,

Luke 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24,

and at verse 13.

That very day,

two of them were going

to a village named Emmaus,

about seven miles from Jerusalem,

and they were talking

with each other

about all these things

that had happened.

While they were talking

and discussing together,

Jesus himself threw near

and went with them,

but their eyes were kept

from recognizing him.

And he said to them,

what is this conversation

that you are holding

with each other

as you walk?

And they stood still,

looking sad.

Then one of them,

named Cleopas,

answered him,

are you the only visitor

to Jerusalem

who does not know

the things that have happened

there in these days?

And he said to them,

what things?

And they said to him,

concerning Jesus of Nazareth,

a man who was a prophet,

mighty indeed,

and word before God

and all the people,

and how our chief priests

and rulers delivered him up

to be condemned to death

and crucified him.

But we had hoped

that he was the one

to redeem Israel.

Yes, and besides all this,

it is now the third day

since these things happened.

Moreover,

some women of our company

amazed us.

They were at the tomb

early in the morning,

and when they did not find

his body,

they came back saying

that they had even seen

a vision of angels

who said that he was alive.

Some of those

who were with us

went to the tomb

and found it

just as the woman had said,

but him they did not see.

But we leave our reading there

at this point.

We're going to come back

and pick it up again.

But in this first reading,

we begin to see

the two on the road to Emmaus,

the journey that they were on,

and just some of the things

that they were talking about.

There are many things

that we hear

and we can find them

hard to believe.

We doubt.

And that's exactly

what these two

on the road to Emmaus

were experiencing.

They were doubting

even the things

that they were heard

from others

who were of their company,

as it says,

others who were friends

of them

who had come

and told them

all these different things

that had happened

and they'd seen

or heard in Jerusalem.

They were doubting

to believe it.

Just like that,

we ourselves

can find things

hard to believe.

For example,

if I was to say to you,

they're going to build

a tunnel

from Stornoway

to Ullapul.

They're going to go

under the minch

with a tunnel

so that we can travel

by car

under the minch

over to the other side.

Would you believe that?

Some people

would want to believe it

so we don't have to go

on the ferry anymore,

especially when the ferry's rough.

It would make getting

back and forth

so much easier.

Other people

wouldn't want to believe it

but say,

oh no,

that would bring

maybe too many people

into the island

or make it too easy.

Others would just say,

oh,

that's ridiculous.

It's just

never going to happen.

That's just

an April Fool's

or I'll believe it

when I see it.

There are things

that we kind of struggle

to work out

just what we want

in these circumstances.

Well,

we meet these two

on the road to Emmaus.

We know one of them

is called Cleopas

though we're not told

the name of the other one.

And they had been

to Jerusalem.

They had been there

for the Passover.

That was

the remembrance

of how God

had helped his people

in the Old Testament

in the time

of the Exodus,

how they had

been helped by God

to get away

from Egypt.

And they were remembering

that by sacrificing

a lamb.

But now as they'd been

to Jerusalem

remembering the Passover,

what they had seen

was this fulfilled.

And Jesus

who had come

to give his life.

And they've seen

so much,

they've heard

so much,

and yet here

they are

coming away

from Jerusalem

on the way

to Emmaus.

And what's

their emotion?

How are they feeling?

Are they happy?

Even when they've heard

that Jesus

may be alive,

you'd think

they would be happy,

but they're not.

They are sad.

They are sad

about what had happened

because they don't

understand it.

They don't realize

just what this means.

And you notice

what they were

talking about.

they were talking

about the things

that had happened

concerning Jesus

as it says

in verse 19.

And it's almost like

they had all

the information.

They had Jesus,

they were talking

about him,

this man

who was a prophet,

who was mighty indeed,

all the things

that he had done.

He was so mighty

in all of these things,

how the chief priests

and the rulers

had delivered him up

to condemn him to death.

They had crucified him.

And it says,

but we had hoped

that he was the one

to redeem his.

He was the one

that they were looking for

and putting their hope on

that he would save

his people.

And yet here they feel

like all their hopes

are dashed.

They're coming away

from Jerusalem

and they've missed

the most important thing.

It reminds me of

when you see

football fans

and they're in the stadium.

They've got the ticket

to go into the stadium

to watch their team play,

but they find their team

losing and losing badly.

And so maybe with

15 or 20 minutes to go,

they think,

well, what's the point?

My team's lost.

Even if you look back

to the results yesterday,

Newcastle were playing

West Ham.

And with less than 15 minutes

to go,

West Ham are winning

3-1.

And you can start to see

the fans starting to leave.

They're thinking,

we've lost.

There's no point.

So they go out.

They start coming away

from the stadium.

But as they're making

their way away

from the stadium,

they begin to hear

a cheer go up

as their team

has scored one goal.

And as their team

has scored another.

Newcastle came back

and they won 4-3

in the last minutes.

But fans who left

before the end

because they doubted

that their team

could come back

and win,

they missed it.

And they had to go

on reports

that others would tell them.

And even then,

they maybe wouldn't believe it.

There's no way

that we could come back

and win that game.

And yet,

here are these two

on the road to Emmaus.

They've been in Jerusalem.

They've been in the place

with everything

that was happening.

They've seen so much

that was happening.

And they've even heard

so much about

what has happened.

It even goes so far

as to say that

some of the people

who were with us

came and told us

that his body

was not there,

that the angels

were saying

that he was alive.

And yet,

they dismissed it.

They were doubting.

And yet,

into this,

who is it

that comes

alongside them?

As they're journeying

on the way,

Jesus himself,

it says in verse 15,

drew near

and went with them.

Jesus himself.

And yet,

they didn't recognize him.

They didn't understand.

And they're saying to him,

we hoped

that he was the one

who was going to save us.

And he's there.

He's right beside them.

And yet,

they're still

not believing.

And how close

are we

to salvation today?

How close

are we

to Jesus today?

And still,

we don't believe.

The Bible

tells us.

He is not here.

He is risen.

This morning,

this Sunday morning,

tells us

that he is risen.

It is Easter Sunday.

It reminds us

of all of these things.

And yet,

still,

we don't believe.

We're so close

to the truth.

We're hearing the truth.

And yet,

we're still saying

to ourselves,

but it's a lie.

It can't be true.

Well,

that's the experience

of these two

on the road

to Emmaus.

That's our first experience,

doubt.

They don't believe

that this can be true.

And for ourselves,

that might be

our experience

today as well.

Maybe we don't believe

that this

can be true.

Well,

there is truth

here

for us.

And before we go on

to the next stage

of the journey

when we come

to see them searching,

we're going to read,

but first,

before we read,

we're going to sing.

We're going to sing

another psalm together.

We're going to sing

in Psalm 22.

Psalm 22.

And we're going to sing

from verse 25

down to verse 27,

three stanzas.

Now,

this is another psalm

that's all about

Jesus in many ways.

It speaks to us

about his crucifixion.

But at the end

of this psalm,

it reminds us

that although he died,

he is alive.

In verse 25,

you are the theme

of all my praise.

Within the great

assembly, Lord,

before all those

who fear your name,

I will fulfill

your solemn word.

And then in verse 27,

the whole earth

will remember him

and turn towards

the Lord their God.

All peoples

will bow down

to him,

the nations

of the world abroad.

And that's a reminder

to us that today

as we worship here

throughout the world,

the whole world,

people remember him,

remember that he is risen.

So we'll sing

from verse 25

to verse 27

to God's praise.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

You are the theme

of all my praise

within the great assembly,

Lord,

before all those

who fear your name,

I will fulfill

my solemn word.

The poor will eat

and will be filled,

and those who seek

the Lord will give.

A shout of joyful praise

to him,

O may your heart

forever lift.

the whole earth

will remember him

and turn towards

the Lord their God.

the Lord their God.

All peoples

will bow down

to him,

the nations

of the world abroad.

the Lord.

Well, we read some more

verses now in this chapter,

Luke 24.

We're going to read

from verse 25

down to verse 31.

Luke 24 at verse 25.

And he said to them,

O foolish ones,

and slow of heart

to believe

all that the prophets

have spoken.

Was it not necessary

that the Christ

should suffer these things

and enter into his glory?

And beginning with Moses

and all the prophets,

he interpreted to them

in all the scriptures

the things

concerning himself.

So they drew near

to the village

to which they were going.

He acted as if

he were going further,

but they urged him

strongly, saying,

Stay with us,

for it is towards evening

and the day

is now far spent.

So he went in

to stay with them.

When he was at the table

with them,

he took the bread

and blessed

and broke it

and gave it to them.

And their eyes

were opened

and they recognized him

and he vanished

from their sight.

Well, as Jesus

was hearing

these two

on the road to Emmaus

talking as he came

alongside them,

this is now

where we see

how Jesus

responds to them

and all that they're saying

and all the explanations

that they've given

to him

about what had happened

in Jerusalem.

And it's a reminder

to us

that there is always

two sides.

to every story.

Two sides.

And so often

it's a case

of trying to work out

what is true

and what is a lie.

And we begin to see

that the understanding

that the two

on the road to Emmaus

had was

believing

what was not true.

And that's what

Jesus' response

to them is

in verse 25.

He said to them,

O foolish ones,

and slow of heart

to believe

all that the prophets

have written.

O foolish ones,

are we fools today?

Will we be fools

tomorrow

when someone plays

and April fools on us

and we get sucked in

and believe that?

We can be fools

to believe a lie.

It can happen

so easily

and so quickly.

But how many more

are fools

in not believing

what is written

for us here?

What is told

to us

in the Bible

in God's Word?

the truth

that is presented

to us

in the Scriptures?

Well, that's what

Jesus brings

these two to.

He brings them

to the Bible,

to the Word

of God.

And that's what

Jesus says,

you are fools

not to believe this.

And Jesus then

starts explaining

to them

all about

the Bible.

And he says,

was it not necessary

that Christ

should suffer

these things

and enter

into glory?

Was that not

what the Bible

was saying to you

all this time?

And he says then

in verse 27,

beginning with Moses

and all the prophets,

he began to explain

the Bible to them.

The things,

he says,

concerning himself.

How Jesus was seen

in all of the Old Testament.

How it was pointing

towards Jesus' coming

and all that was

necessary for him

to do.

And you can imagine

Jesus speaking

about the things

of the Old Testament,

like the Passover lamb,

explaining what it meant

in Moses' day,

what it meant now,

what it meant

going forward.

Explaining from the prophets,

like Isaiah,

the things that Isaiah

wrote about Jesus.

Explaining from

so many of the Psalms,

how Jesus is seen

in them.

Even think of the likes

of Psalm 14,

which says,

the fool says in his heart,

there is no God.

That is what it means

to be a fool.

To say there is no God.

And Jesus here is describing

these two on the road

to Emmaus

as foolish

and slow

of heart.

He is describing them

in this way

and he is saying

basically,

you are stubborn.

You are stubborn

not to believe

these things.

Here it is

presented before you.

You are just foolish.

You are stubborn

not to believe

these things.

And is that not

the way we so often

are as well?

We are just stubborn

by nature.

Stubborn

to believe

so many things.

And that is certainly

not something

we want to be

with the word

of God.

Stubbornness

is being foolish.

Many of you,

I am sure,

will be busy

just now

either working

or helping

with sheep

and helping

with lambing

at this time.

It is a busy time

for those

who have sheep.

Have you ever

ended up

in a standoff

with a sheep

though?

When you are

trying to get

them into the pen

but they just

want to go

the opposite

direction.

And I am sure

many of you

have been in

a situation

where you find

yourself,

you end up

just wanting

to talk

to the sheep

and you are

trying to reason

with the sheep.

You are saying

look,

I just want you

to go this way

not that way.

Will you not

just do

as I am saying

and you are

you want me

to go this way?

No,

I am going

that way.

They are stubborn

just like we are.

And that is why

you find

in the Bible

Jesus so often

describes

his people

as sheep.

You find it

in the Old Testament

as well.

All we like sheep

have gone astray.

We have turned

all to our own ways.

We have been stubborn.

We have gone away.

Well,

Jesus is described

as we sang

in Psalm 23

as the good shepherd.

And the good shepherd

who is described

in John 10

as the one

who calls

his sheep,

calls them by name

that they would

follow him.

But we are stubborn.

Even though we know

the Bible

is talking

to us,

we are still

stubborn

to believe,

slow of heart

and just foolish

to believe

all that is said.

There are two sides

to every story.

But the more

we hear

the voice

of Jesus,

the more we realize

that he is

just like

a good shepherd.

A shepherd

who wants

to care

for his sheep.

A shepherd

who is trying

to get his sheep

into the pen

so he can look

after them

and care for them

even though they

want to go

the opposite

direction.

The more we hear

of Jesus,

the more we see

he wants us

to come to him

that we might

help us.

That we might

come to him

and find rest

with him.

And the more

they,

the two on the road

to Emmaus,

were hearing

as Jesus was

opening up

the scriptures,

the more they realized

as he was searching

through the scriptures,

he was not just

searching the scriptures

but he was searching

their hearts.

Working in their hearts,

those hearts

that were stubborn

and foolish

and slow

to believe,

he was working

in them

that they might

come to believe.

And that is

the power

of God's word.

That is the power

that we have

before us

here today.

This word

of God

that speaks

to us

about all

that was

necessary

for Christ

to suffer.

All that he

had to do

for us

in giving

his life

on the cross

and being put

in the grave

but that he

rose again

to remind us

that he had

conquered the grave,

conquered death.

All of these

things

we are to hear

and that is the word

that searches

your heart

in my heart

and challenges

us

to believe

in this.

We can come

from doubting

to being foolish

and stubborn

to being searched

by Jesus

and coming

to know

what Jesus

has done

for us

that we might

have life

in him.

And that is the

final thing

I want us

to take

from this

passage.

The way

they come

to believe.

I want us

just to read

a few more

verses

before we

come to reflect

on this

final point.

Reading from

verse 32

down to

verse 35.

And there

we read

these words.

They said

to each

other,

did not

our hearts

burn

within us

while he

talked to

us on

the road,

while he

opened to

us the

scriptures.

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 he

has appeared

to Simon.

Then they

told what

had happened

on the road

and how he

was known

to them

in the

breaking

of bread.

As they

had come

towards

Emmaus,

these two

had invited

Jesus in

to stay

with them.

They were

concerned for

him.

It was

getting late

at night.

It wasn't

the time

to be out

and about

on the

roads at

that time

of night

because

they were

dangerous

places,

places where

robbers would

be hiding

and waiting

for people

to come

along.

And as

they sat

together

and as

Jesus had

opened up

the scriptures

to them,

you see in

this moment

there was a

realization

of who

it was.

In the

breaking of

the bread

they suddenly

realized

that this

was Jesus.

What does

recognizing

Jesus do?

What does

recognizing

the truth

do?

It does

what happened

to these

two on

the road

to Emmaus.

It makes

your heart

burn

within you.

It's an

amazing image

this.

Did not

our hearts

burn

within us

as he

opened up

the scriptures?

And it's

looking back.

It's

recognizing

something that

had been

happening

for a while

and something

that can

happen to

ourselves

as well

when all

of a sudden

we begin

to realize

who Jesus

is and

begin to

realize how

he's been

speaking to

us and

how he's

been bringing

our heart

alive again.

Our heart

that was

hard and

stubborn and

foolish.

Jesus has

begun to

work in

it.

To bring

it to

life.

Through

his word.

through

his

truth.

That is

what

happened

to them.

The

word of

God

started to

speak

in

powerful

ways.

And the

hope,

remember the

hope that

they thought

had gone.

The hope

that they

had left

behind in

Jerusalem,

leaving,

as it were,

before the

full-time

whistle had

gone,

not realizing

the great

achievement that

had been

done for

them,

that he

was risen.

What they

had been

slow to

believe,

now they

realized.

And their

hope was

back.

Their hope

was fulfilled.

They were

filled with

joy.

Joy and

gladness that

the Lord is

risen indeed.

And that's

the joy that

the word of

God can give

to us today

as well.

So here

they were,

the two on

the road to

Emmaus.

They had

come to

Emmaus.

What had

started out

as a sad

journey,

talking about

the hope

that they

had lost

and all

of these

things.

Imagine

you were

going on

a school

sponsored

walk.

You were

going to

walk from

Stornoway,

seven miles,

maybe to

the Lough

School or

to the

Bath

School.

And it's

been a

long,

tiring

walk.

You're

knackered

as you

come to

the school.

You're

thirsty,

your feet

are hurting.

And then

when you

get there

your teacher

says,

right,

we're

going

straight

back

to

Stornoway.

Start

walking.

Oh,

you would

think,

no way,

we're not

going to

do that,

we've just

reached here.

Well,

Cleopas and

the friend

that was

with Cleopas,

as soon as

they had

arrived in

Emmaus and

as soon as

they realized

who Jesus

was,

the first

thing they

wanted to

do was

get right

back to

Jerusalem.

Get right

back there

to tell

people who

they had

seen and

who they

had met

with.

He is

risen.

He is

alive.

The

resurrection

filled

them with

hope.

And that's

what the

resurrection

does today

as well.

No matter

what makes

us sad

in this

life,

no matter

the things

that come

our way

that hurt

us and

leave us

feeling anxious

and fearful,

as we

trust in

Jesus,

he gives

us a

hope.

A hope

for today

and a

hope for

eternity.

Why is

the resurrection

important?

It's important

because it's

not a joke.

It's not

an April

fool's.

It's not

there to

give us a

little hope

and then only

take it

away that

is not

actually

true.

It is

true.

And so

we are

to believe

it.

These

two,

they came

to believe

in all

that they

had heard

and seen.

They had

seen Jesus

and it

filled them

with hope

and filled

them with

delight.

There was

once a

skeptic,

that's

someone who

doesn't really

believe in

God.

And he

had a

Christian

friend.

And very

often he

would mock

his Christian

friend,

make a

laugh of

his faith.

And one

day this

man said

to his

Christian

friend,

say,

George,

what would

you say

if when

you die

you find

out that

there is

no heaven?

Well,

a Christian

friend said

to his

friend beside

him with

a smile.

He said,

well,

I would

say I've

had a

good life

and I've

enjoyed living

my life

for Christ.

And then

he threw

a question

back at

his skeptic

friend,

his friend

who didn't

believe.

And he

said to

him,

what about

you,

Fred?

What would

you say

if when

you die

you find

out there

is such

a place

as hell?

And there

was no

response

to give.

And that's

the reality

of the

resurrection.

That's the

difference

it makes.

Jesus

came to

save his

people from

their sins,

to save

his people

from hell

and to

give them

the hope

of heaven

and eternity

with him.

it is not

an April

fools.

It's not

a joke.

But do you

believe the

truth or

do you

believe a

lie?

The truth

is he

died,

he was

buried,

and he

rose on

the third

day.

The lie

is that

none of

that is

true.

There's a

little song

that we

used to

sing at

a holiday

club that

we used

to do

in Dumfries.

And it's

about the

cross.

And it's

just a

simple little

song,

really one

verse.

And this

is what it

says.

When I

think about

the cross,

when I

think of

Jesus,

it reminds

me of

his love,

love that

never leaves

me.

who am

I that

he should

die in

my place,

giving life

so freely,

when I

think about

the cross,

help me

to believe

it.

It's a

simple

little verse,

and yet it

speaks so

much to

us about

the love

of the

Lord to

us,

in giving

his life,

love,

and asking

in prayer

that he

would help

us to

believe it.

Amazing

love,

how can

it be

that thou,

my God,

should die

for me?

He died,

but he

is risen,

and may he

help us

all to

believe the

truth that

there is

in that,

and not the

lie that

says it

is not

true.

Let us

pray.

Our

Father in

heaven,

we do

thank you

for your

word and

the hope

that it

gives,

for it

reminds us

that though

Christ came

to die

for our

sins,

it reminds

us too

that he

is risen,

and we

pray that

today we

would be

helped to

believe in

all of

these things,

to believe

in the

things that

maybe even

seem impossible

to us,

but we

thank you

that through

faith we

see all

that is

possible with

God.

So continue

with us

Lord and

bless us

we pray

in Jesus

name.

Amen.

We're going

to conclude

by singing

to God's

praise in

Psalm 62

in the

Scottish

Psalter

version.

Psalm 62

and we'll

sing the

first two

verses.

Psalm 62

My soul

with expectation

depends on

God indeed

my strength

and my

salvation

doth from

him alone

proceed.

He only

my salvation

is and my

strong rock

is he.

He only

is my

sure defense

much moved

I shall

not be.

We'll sing

these two

verses to

God's

praise.

my soul

with

expectation

depends

on

God

indeed

my strength

and my

salvation

doth

from

him

alone

proceed.

He only

is my

salvation

and my

strong

rock

is he.

He only

is

my

sure

defense

much

move

I

shall

not

leave.

After the

benediction

I'll go to

the door

to my

right here.

We'll just

close with

the

benediction.

Now may

grace,

mercy and

peace from

God,

Father,

Son and

Holy Spirit

rest upon

and abide

with you

all now

and forever

more.

Amen.

Amen.