Our world is filled with troubling events—wars, acts of terrorism, violence, and countless other shocking realities. On a personal level, you may be experiencing things that are difficult to understand, leaving you wondering how to navigate and cope with it all.

In Luke 24, as part of the resurrection story, we meet a disciple named Cleopas. He had been in Jerusalem, among the throngs who witnessed the shocking and senseless events around the crucifixion of Jesus. It seems that Cleopas’ hope died with Jesus. Discouraged and defeated, he packed it all in and headed out of town, ready to close that chapter of his life and move on. But it was then that Jesus chose to come alongside the bewildered man and walk with him—even though Cleopas didn’t recognize Him.

Maybe you can identify with Cleopas to some extent as you struggle to make sense of the world around you, or even your personal life. You wonder why the bad things you’ve experienced ever happened.

Cleopas’ experience is significant because what this teaches us is that when things seem to be unravelling around us and we are down in the dumps, the resurrected and living Lord is present with us. We may not even recognize His presence, but He is there to walk with us.    

Tough and bewildering stuff will keep happening in this life. But let’s not lose hope. Remember, the resurrected Jesus is with us always, and that’s part of the wonderful message of Easter.