Luke 24:36-43. 36As (he disciples) were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate before them.
The two Emmaus travelers have made it back to Jerusalem and are exchanging “ghost stories” with the Twelve (sans Thomas, John’s Gospel tells us). The women have seen Jesus, so has Peter, and now these two. What are we to make of these appearances? What is going on? Could it be true that Jesus is alive? But in what way?
It’s difficult to miss the point Luke is emphasizing here – Jesus was actually, historically, and materially raised. He is alive in a physical, bodily state – Touch me and see.
Many reject any kind of resurrection simply because it doesn’t fit into their worldview. Dead people don’t come back to life. Period. Atheist New Testament scholar, Bart Ehrman, says that miracles like a resurrection are so improbable that they must be considered to be impossible. This naturalistic approach to everything, from the beginnings of the universe to the resurrection of Christ, however, leaves much to be desired. The universe (something) can come from nothing, but a dead body can’t come back to life? Hmmm.
If resurrections are impossible, then how do we explain the mass phenomenon of experiencing the resurrected Jesus that launched a world religion in the most unlikely of times and places? Was it made up by Christ followers centuries later, after the fact? But why? Why would those with a worldview (Judaism) that did not allow for resurrection, or even need a resurrection, invent a resurrection? And how could they pull off such a fabrication while so many of those who knew Jesus were still alive? And how could they invent such a theory in a city (Jerusalem) that gave both Rome and the Jewish Sanhedrin every reason to use all of their resources to debunk such a myth?
There are some naturalists that are more intellectually honest and admit that the resurrection stories weren’t made up decades or even centuries later, but that these disciples did experience something. They truly believed that something happened. Atheist skeptics like Alex O’Connor, who calls himself a nonresistant nonbeliever, admits that the disciples of Jesus believed that something extraordinary happened. Other “Christian” scholars like Marcus Borg denied the physical resurrection of Christ but hold to a spiritual resurrection of Christ that accomplishes all we need, thus making the bodily resurrection unnecessary.
But is a spiritual resurrection all we need? Do we even need Jesus to have raised physically? Why is this so important. Why does Dr. Luke want us to not miss the bodily resurrection of Jesus? And why does Paul, Luke’s mentor, tell us that if Christ did not rise bodily then we are faithless and hopeless? Why do we need a bodily resurrection of Christ? How does a physical resurrection benefit anyone other than Jesus himself?
Throughout the scriptures, Christ is presented as the firstfruits of the resurrection. He is the first to be raised, never to die again, but he is not the last. All who are in Christ will follow his lead in resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20), becoming like him in our eternal state (1 Jn. 3:2). This means being like him in a body, for surely Christ is still living in his glorified body.
Philippians 3:20-21. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Let us not forget God’s love for our physical bodies. At creation, God rolled up his sleeves and “hand crafted” a body for Adam from the dust. It was embodied eternal life that God offered Adam and Eve through the Tree of Life. They would not shed their bodies and be absorbed into some sort of spiritual massless energy. How could they image God, rule creation, be fruitful and multiply without the body?
Nor did Jesus, the Second Adam, shed his body at his ascension. Why not? Because his glory and the glory of God is on display through his body – his crucified body, complete with the nail scarred hands and feet. We will forever gaze upon the Lamb that was slain, seated on his throne. And in our matching glorified bodies we will be able to be in the glorious presence of God surrounded by the saints and angels.
Christ’s whole purpose on Earth was dependent upon him taking on a physical, human life. His eternal destiny is now to rule over creation as truly man. He already ruled as God, but in the body he restores his creation to our proper place – all things under our feet with Christ as the Head. Therefore, our whole purpose and destiny is to live forever in the body too, revealing the glory of Christ in bodies that reflect the love, grace, and courage of Christ.
Courage. Don’t be afraid. Jesus is no ghost. And neither are you. You are a living, breathing, embodied soul. Let the future resurrection of your body give you all the courage you need to face whatever comes your way in this physical world, knowing that you are now immortal, invincible, incorruptible, and in Christ.
You: Do you focus more on your own mortality or your immortality in Christ?
You in Christ: How does having Christ in a body increase his glory and our experience of that glory?
Christ in you: How can you live in courage today knowing that your body and soul are eternal?
Prayer: Father, as Hebrews say, “A body you have made for me.” Let me use my body to always glorify and image Jesus until we are together again bodily in the Kingdom. I can’t wait to be just like him. Amen.
To Live is Christ 