Luke 24:39 - See My Hands and My Feet

By Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Luke 24:39 - See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, as you see that I have." 

Did Jesus mean that God had raised him back from the dead into his former body of flesh? This scripture does not say such, but that is what many have read into what Jesus said.

Here Jesus evidently did appear with his former body of flesh, and thus showed that he was not a phantom spirit as the apostles at first thought him to be. (Luke 24:37) A phantom spirit, however, is actually a demon spirit pretending to be the "ghost" of someone who has died. These spirits cannot appear with a body of flesh as did Jesus. Jesus was definitely not such a spirit. 

This does not mean that God raised Jesus from the dead back into his former body. Jesus, however, had not yet ascended to present his body to God for our sins, and thus he could make use of that body before his ascension.

After God raised Jesus from the dead -- not in his former body of flesh, but in a spirit body (1 Peter 3:18) -- Jesus evidently did raise up his former body for various appearances (John 2:19-22: Luke 24:39; John 20:20,25,27; Acts 1:3) before he ascended to finalize the offering of that body to his God for our sins.

The God and Father of Jesus anointed and sent Jesus (Isaiah 61:1; John 17:1,3), prepared a body of flesh for Jesus (Hebrews 10:5) separate from the condemnation in Adam (Romans 5:12-19), and made Jesus with a terrestrial, fleshly, bodily glory that is a little lower than the angels -- nothing more, nothing less -- so that Jesus could offer that body of flesh with its blood to his God for our sins.  -- Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19; Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 15:39-41; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 2:9; 9:14; 10:10; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5.

Jesus, having sacrificed his body of flesh as an offering to his God for our sins, is no longer in the days of his flesh, with a fleshly, earthly body, having the glory that is a little lower than the angels, and his God has now exalted him with a bodily glory that is far above all dominions, including the angels, with the obvious exception of having the glory that belongs only to He who exalted Jesus. -- 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 2:9; 5:7.

If God raised Jesus back into his former body, that would mean either that Jesus did not actually make an offering for sin, or else that he took back that offering. Since the condemnation through Adam would have been eternal had it not been for Jesus' sacrifice, the sacrifice that Jesus gave had to be eternal. He could not take it back.

One claims:

Christ our Savior manifested the corporeality of his glorified body through two principal proofs: First, he allowed his disciples to touch him; second, he ate in their presence.

While spirits, whether angels or separated souls, are indeed capable of appearing in a bodily form, the sight of our Lord eating was taken by the apostles as a certain manifestation of the truth of the resurrection of the flesh.

The one whom Jehovah anointed (Isaiah 61:1,2) manifested his former human body for the purpose of showing that it really was he, and that he was not a demonic spirit being which they had thought him to be. (Luke 24:37) Such demonic spirit beings evidently cannot manifest themselves in a body of flesh and bones, nor can such a spirit being be touched, nor can they eat, as did Jesus. 

That body of flesh and bones certainly did not represent the glory that Jesus now has in his resurrection body, for he is now exalted far above the angels, next to the Most High. (Acts 2:33,36; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 1:4,6; 1 Peter 3:22) He is no longer a man, a little lower than the angels. (Psalm 8:4,5; Hebrews 2:6,7) The days of his flesh have passed. (Hebrews 5:7) Nothing related to his appearances to his disciples in the locked/closed room, however, means that Jesus was raised from the dead in his former body of flesh.

One claims:

Jesus was already in the Spirit before He died and the Spirit was in Him. John 14:10-11

John 14:10 - Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father living in me does his works.
John 14:11 - Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

This is not relevant to what Peter was referring to in 1 Peter 3:18. In John 14:10, Jesus says nothing about his being put to death in the flesh. Peter speaks of Jesus' being put to death in the flesh as related to his suffering for us, his being put to death for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), that he might bring us to God. Peter spoke in harmony with many other scriptures, including Jesus' statement that he was to give his flesh for the life of the world. (John 6:51) Peter spoke in harmony with Paul who showed that in Adam all have been condemned, but through Jesus' sacrifice for all, all are to be made alive. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 10:10,12) And Peter had earlier in his letter referred to how Jesus "bore our sin in his body" (1 Peter 2:24), possibly referring to Isaiah 53. Peter was not speaking of God's being in Jesus while Jesus was still in the days of flesh. (Hebrews 5:7) He was talking about Jesus' sacrificing his body of flesh with its blood to God for our sins, and thus that Jesus was not raised back into his former fleshly body, but rather into a spiritual body. -- 1 Corinthians 15:45-48.

One asks: If Jesus was not flesh, what was he?

Jesus was not a phantom (ghost) demonic spirit as they thought him to be. Ever since the flood, the angels that sinned have obviously not been allowed to appear in human form (otherwise, they would have continued to do so). Jesus confirms this by saying that such a spirit does not have a body of flesh as they saw him appear in. They evidently can make appearances as a phantom spirit with a body of flesh.

Nevertheless, Jesus was no longer in the days of his flesh, a man, having the glory that is a little lower than the angels. (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:9; 5:7) Jesus, now that he is no longer in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7), has indeed been made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3:18). He no longer has the bodily glory that is a little lower than the angels. He has now been exalted with a bodily glory that far above all dominions. (Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27) Thus, he now holds a position of glory far above the gods -- mighty ones/angels -- of Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7.

God did not raise Jesus in the flesh, but in the spirit. (2 Peter 3:13) Nevertheless, Jesus, before his ascension, did indeed raise up his former body for various appearances. After Jesus' God (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3) raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24,32,26; 3:15; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30,33,37; 17:31; Romans 4:24; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:15; Galatians 1:1; Colossians 2:11,12; 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 1 Peter 1:21; 3:18), Jesus did not immediately ascend to heaven, but he stayed on the earth for 40 days, during which time, as he had foretold (John 2:19-21), he raised up his former body for various appearances to his disciples. (Luke 24:39; John 20:20,25,27; Acts 1:3) It was not until after he ascended into heaven that Jesus became a priest who could offer to his God (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14) his body of flesh with its blood for our sins, after which he sat down at God's right hand (Hebrews 10:10,12), since as long as he was on earth he could not be a priest. (Hebrews 8:4) This does not mean that God raised Jesus in the flesh and not in the spirit. It would simply mean that Jesus was first raised from the oblivious condition of death with the heavenly, celestial bodily glory. Jesus then could raise up his body of flesh as needed for various appearances before he ascended to offer that body of flesh with its blood to his God for our sins.

If we reason that Jesus was raised in the flesh, rather than in the spirit, then his resurrection would have simply been earthly, fleshly, and not heavenly, spiritual, for the glory of the terrestrial (earthly) is not the same as glory of the celestial (heavenly), nor is the glory of the celestial the same as the terrestrial. (1 Corinthians 15:39-41) If Jesus had been raised in the flesh, he would still have been a man, having a glory that is a little lower than the angels, and he would again be in the days of his flesh here on the earth. (Hebrews 2:7; 5:7) Jesus was put to death in the flesh for our sins, but he was not raised in the flesh, but in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18) God prepared a body of flesh for Jesus (Hebrews 10:5) for the very purpose that his body would be an offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:10,12) If Jesus had been raised in the flesh, and is still to this day in the flesh as many claim, then he never offered that body of flesh with its blood to his God for the sin of the world. -- Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19,20; John 1:29; 6:51; Romans 3:25; 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 5:2; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9; 9:14; 10:10,12; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; 2:2.

For links to Studies Related to Jesus' Resurrection Body: