A Physical Resurrection

2021-09-22

Before moving on to discussing the theological aspects of the resurrection, it would be good to talk about how Jesus’ resurrection was a physical resurrection. This means He still had a physical body; He was not just a disembodied spirit.

Upon one of His postmortem appearances to His disciples, Jesus demonstrated that He had physically raised from the dead:

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (37) But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. (38) And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? (39) Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (40) And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. (41) And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? (42) And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. (43) And he took it, and did eat before them. (Luke 24:36-43)
  1. They thought Jesus was a Spirit. He just appeared in the midst of them without notice, so they were afraid, thinking He was a spirit. Verses 36-38
  2. Jesus showed them His hands and feet which were pierced. He offered them to handle Him. They physically touched Him. Verse 39-40
  3. Spirits do not have flesh and bones. By touching Him, they could tell that He had a material body, complete with flesh and bone.
  4. Jesus ate before them. In further evidence that He was a physical person, He ate before them. Verses 41-43

Furthermore, when Thomas saw Jesus back from the dead for the first time, the Lord invited the doubting disciple to “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).

Some religious groups have still denied His physical resurrection based on 1 Corinthians 15:44-47. In 1 Corinthians 15:44, we read, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” First, we should mention that the phrase is “spiritual body.” The resurrection body is still a body. The adjective “spiritual” qualifies “body.” Note that there is a fourfold “It is sown X; it is raised Y.” The juxtaposition merely states that the body was sown in an inferior form but raised to a superior form. This is also affirmed in verse 46-47.

Furthermore, we read, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Does this mean Jesus was merely a spirit? This would also have to mean Adam was only a soul because he “was made a living soul,” which we know is not the case.

This is Part I of the resurrection series.