A man and his little grandson were out walking down the beach one afternoon. They saw a crowd of people gathered around a man who had been overcome by the heat of the sun and had suffered a sunstroke. The grandfather was trying to explain this to the boy. The little fellow looked up at his grand father and said, "Grandpa, I hope you never suffer from a sunset."

We have gathered today to celebrate the good news that even though we face many sunsets there is always a sunrise.

There is a simple beauty in this Easter story we have read today about Jesus and two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. It shows us the great contrasts which were so much a part of that resurrection experience. Those followers of Jesus - and all who loved him faced a sunset on that fateful Fri day. The sun went down on all their hopes and dreams.

Jesus captured their imaginations, but the Roman soldiers captured him.

Jesus gained their love and devotion, but the forces of hatred divided them.

Jesus inspired the best in them, but now they have ex perienced the worst.

Jesus had apparently claimed a victory, but now they have seen his utter defeat.

Jesus had stood for the kingdom of God, but the power of Rome was standing over him.

Jesus had promised a better life, but is now the victim of a bitter death.

Have you ever experienced anything like this in your own life? Have there been some times when you have about lost your way? Has your life been filled with nothing but sunsets, when all you ever wanted was a little bit of sunrise? I wonder if I am speaking to someone today who has traveled a long and lonely road? If so, then Easter speaks to you.

It happened that on that first Easter day, two loyal followers of Jesus were walking down the road to Emmaus, a little village outside of Jerusalem. They were going home in defeat, shame and disappointment. It was late in the evening and the sinking sun reminded them of the sinking feeling they had on the inside. But as they walked along, a stranger joined them. He asked what they had been discussing. They stopped dead in their tracks, looked at each other and then asked him if he was the only person who did not know what had been going on for the last few days. He asked them what things were they talking about. They replied that they were talking about Jesus of Nazareth, a mighty prophet and how he had been put to death. Then they said, "But we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel."

"... we had hoped ..." What a note of tragedy in those words. But it is out of that great tragedy that God brought history's greatest triumph.

Those two followers went on to relate how they had heard some of the women had found an empty tomb, and others had gone to the tomb, but did not see him. And then the stranger says, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

This is the glory of Easter, the glory of the New Testament, the glory of Christian faith, the glory of the Christian church. This is why we have gathered here on this Easter Sunday to celebrate the good news of the resurrection, because God stepped into history and said to the forces of evil, "That is enough. You can have no more of my son. I'll have the last word about this."

So, as we celebrate this today and think about the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus, would you allow your heart and mind to be filled with these things?

I

The resurrection is a transformation which takes place in our living. The resurrection changes everything. That stranger walked with them all the way home. He told them so much they wanted to hear more. They invited him to come and stay with them. They sat down at the table for a meal together. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to them. There was something strangely familiar in all of that. And then Luke writes, "Their eyes were opened and they recognized him." Suddenly everything was different. The entire situation was transformed. Nothing would ever be the same again.

The resurrection has changed everything. Nothing is the same. Not long ago I bought a book with the title From Upper Room To Garden Tomb.

Instead of putting Jesus up on a throne, they put him down in a garden tomb. Those disciples had followed Jesus from up in Galilee all the way down to Jerusalem - down the streets and up to the temple - down in the garden and up to the cross - from upper room to garden tomb. And that was the end of that, they thought.

In one of our Sunday school classes a teacher was trying to help her children understand the meaning of Holy Week. When she was explaining Good Friday she said, "Now this Friday is called what? Good - Good what?" And one little boy replied, "Goodbye."

Old Pontius Pilate, the High Priest and all the members of the Sanhedrin poked each other in the ribs and said, "Goodbye. Goodbye Jesus!" And all the people who loved him hung their heads and said, "Goodbye Jesus." But their last goodbye was a new hello for Jesus went from the garden tomb around by Emmaus and back to the upper room.

Nothing has ever been the same. From that moment on, all those who followed Jesus lived in the power of his resurrection. A transformation took place in their lives.

It takes place in our living. Our living is different because we are no longer the same. We are no longer living under the power of sin and death and darkness. We live now in the light of God's love, in the dawn of a new day. Because of that the meaning of our lives has been changed, has been transformed.

In World War II a soldier was mortally wounded while fighting in Germany. He knew that the war was coming to an end, though he would not live to see the final victory. He said to a friend, "Would you give my wife a message? Would you tell her I had the joy of knowing that we have won the victory?"

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the meaning of our living has been transformed. Regardless of what might happen to us we can have the joy of knowing the victory has been won.

Then something else.

II

The resurrection is a conviction which grips our thinking. It is more than something we merely believe. It is a conviction which takes hold of us. After the risen Christ had revealed himself to those two followers he vanished from their sight. And they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us when he talked with us on the road, when he opened to us the Scriptures?" They knew they had been in his presence. Their thinking was gripped by that conviction.

That is what we need today - some great convictions to live by. Like all times this is a time when we do not need any more people who merely have opinions. What is needed today are people who have great convictions.

In a church's Easter pageant there was a scene where a large cardboard box was used for the tomb. There was a boy inside the box playing the part of the angel. At one point he was to say, "He is not here. He has risen. Come see the place where he lay." But he forgot his line. Nevertheless, with all the unction he could muster, he yelled out "He ain't here. He's done gone!"

Once during a time when Martin Luther was greatly troubled, some of his friends saw him writing with his finger in the dust on a table, "He lives. He lives."

When our thinking has been gripped by that conviction, then we can face anything that comes along. When our hearts burn within us with that conviction then we know we can handle all of life.

But then something more.

III

The resurrection is a witness which inspires our sharing. It is more than a change in us, more than just a conviction. It is something we also live. It is a witness we share. Luke tells us that same hour those two followers left Emmaus and went back to Jerusalem. They went to the upper room and found the disciples. They shared what they had experienced that day. It was something they could not contain within themselves.

The early church was the result of the resurrection. Those disciples were not looking for some new organization to join - some club to which they could belong. The church was the result of their witness. The resurrection was a story they had to tell - a conviction they had to announce - a witness they had to share.

Our gathering here is a witness to the power of the resurrection. Our Christian living is a witness to the power of the resurrection. Our giving of our lives to Christ is a witness to the power of the resurrection. Our commitment to a servant church is a witness to the power of resurrection. Our love expressed in sacrificial ways is a witness to the power of resurrection. Our words of comfort and hope are a witness to the power of the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ has made Christians out of us and our lives are a witness to the power of it. And this power continues to sustain our living. It gives us hope for today and all the tomorrows which await us.

On the final night of his life when the Washington preacher Peter Marshall lay dying, he said to his wife as she left his room, "I'll see you in the morning."

It sounds a lot like Jesus when he promised, "I am with you always."

He stands among us even now and promises to meet us on the roads we travel - on the highways and byways - when the sun is shining brightly - when the skies are cloudy - in the midst of all our sunsets he promises us a sunrise - "I'll see you in the morning."

That is the glory of our faith.

Pastor Prayer

Eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and great God of Easter, who has brought from the dead thy Son and our Savior, we come here to sing praises to thee and to claim for ourselves a great resurrection faith. So give us this gift of faith, O God, and enable us to be resurrection people.

Make us people, Father, who say, "Yes" to life in the face of all its contradictions, all of its "Nos" and all of its disappointments. Give us the power of the resurrection that we may live in the light no darkness can put out.

We thank thee, Father, for this good news we celebreate today and for all thy gracious blessings upon us, for thou art the source of all good things. We thank thee for life, home and families, for this church and the call to be disciples of the kingdom of God.

Forgive us when we lose our way and fall short of thy will and sin against thee. Make us to be the people thou would have us become.

Give us a vision, O God, of the world as thou would have it. No, we already have that vision. So enable us to live up to it and allow peace to break out all over the earth that thy will might be done.

For we pray in the name of our risen Lord. Amen.