22 Apr. What kind of body did Jesus have after he rose from the dead?
"Later [on the Sunday] Jesus showed himself to the eleven apostles while they were eating, and he criticised them because they had no faith. They were stubborn and refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen from the dead." (Mark 16:14)
"Then the two followers told what had happened on the road [to Emmaus] and how they recognised Jesus when he divided the bread. While the two followers were telling this, Jesus himself stood right in the middle of them and said, '[Shalom!] Peace be with you.'"
"They were fearful and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said, 'Why are you troubled? Why do you doubt what you see? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have a living body as you see I have.'"
"After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they still could not believe it because they were amazed and happy, Jesus said to them, 'Do you have any food here?' They gave him a piece of grilled fish. While the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and ate it."
(Luke 24:35-43)
Have you ever wondered what kind of body Jesus had when he appeared to his followers on Easter Sunday after his resurrection from the dead? Was it a spiritual body or a physical body? What did he look like? Was he exactly the same as before he died, or was he different?
First of all, both Mark and Luke tell us he could speak like a normal human being. Mark recalls that Jesus "criticised them because they had no faith. They were stubborn and refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen from the dead". (Mark 16:14) Luke says Jesus greeted the two disciples on the road to Emmaus with the traditional Jewish greeting 'Shalom' (meaning "Peace be with you"). (Luke 24:36)
Secondly, Jesus's disciples could clearly see him and could recognise his normal human actions. He broke the bread at the disciples' house in Emmaus (Luke 24:35), and stood in the middle of them (Luke 24:36).
Thirdly, Jesus had a real physical body. Luke tells us Jesus showed them his hands and his feet and said, "Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have a living body as you see I have." (Luke 24:38)
And fourthly, Jesus could eat normally. They gave him a piece of grilled fish, and while the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and ate it. (Luke 24:43)
So when Jesus rose from the dead, he clearly had a physical body with normal functions such as speech and digestion.
Yet, in some respects, Jesus's resurrected body was different from his body before he was killed.
Jesus seems to have appeared from nowhere, then disappeared just as quickly. Matthew tells us that, after the women left the tomb, "Suddenly, Jesus met them and said 'Greetings'." (Matthew 28:9) John tells us that, on Easter Sunday evening, the followers met behind locked doors, yet "Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them." (John 20:19)
And Jesus's resurrection body wasn't always immediately recognisable. On the road to Emmaus, "Jesus himself came near and began walking with them, but they were kept from recognising him." (Luke 24:15-16). Mark adds, "he did not look the same as before." (Mark 16:12). Only after he explained the significance of his death, and broke bread with them, did they realise who he was: "And then they were allowed to recognise Jesus. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared." (Luke 24:31)
Would you recognise the risen Lord Jesus if he appeared and spoke to you today? He might not look as you expected. What if he was black or had oriental features? Perhaps you would only recognise him by the words he spoke and the things he did?
All four gospels tell us Jesus is alive today! Do we encounter Jesus in our daily lives more than we thought, but we don't recognise him?
You can read more about Jesus's resurrection appearances @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/jesus-appears-to-his-fol…/