What happened to Jesus Body?

[Kenny]

I believe the Bible says something about flesh and blood shall not enter into heaven. Yet when Jesus died, his grave was empty thus no body. If his body (flesh and blood) did not go to Heaven, where did it go?

Ken

[RickD]

I believe the Bible says something about flesh and blood shall not enter into heaven. Yet when Jesus died, his grave was empty thus no body. If his body (flesh and blood) did not go to Heaven, where did it go?

Ken

That's a really good question Kenny.

The verse you are referring to is 1 Corinthians 15:50.

You are only quoting the first half of the verse. To help understand, we need to see the whole verse:
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The perishable body cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This pertains to the resurrection of the believer. To understand further, just look back to verses, 1 Corinthians 15:42-49:

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown [l]a perishable body, it is raised [m]an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, [n]earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, [o]we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

[Kurieuo]

I believe the Bible says something about flesh and blood shall not enter into heaven. Yet when Jesus died, his grave was empty thus no body. If his body (flesh and blood) did not go to Heaven, where did it go?

Ken

There are those Christians who believe our physical bodies are resurrected and then Jesus will reign on a "new Earth" where we will dwell upon. I don't know, that seems "too earthomorphic" (like anthropomorphic) -- people fear what they do not know so looking forward to a perfection of something familiar. Scripture can be mustered, but I wonder whether such aren't being too literal.

Then there are others who believe we are resurrected, but are then primarily spiritual in form ie non-physical. Jesus said, "When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven." Which says to me we'll be very much more living out a spiritual natures akin to angels.

Understand angels were reported to have come in physical form, while we know their nature is spiritual. So then, it may not be a case of either/or -- indeed I think we're both physical and spiritual right now and yet, the laws of this world mean we're trapped in our physcial form until death. Some say that without such, our physical nature, we wouldn't be who we are. You wouldnt be "you" - Kenny - I wouldn't be me. Logically perhaps, then it is necessary for our physical bodies to be restored, but that doesn't necessitate we be bound to that form like we are now

My own thoughts on Jesus' own physical resurrection (as well as those like Lazarus whom He brought back from the dead), the physcial was a positive sign of proof to those at the time of who He said he was and promise to all who place their hope in Him. Would Thomas have believed had he not witnessed Jesus in the flesh and touched his hand? It is evidence of the claim that He is rightful Lord, has power over life and death, and will resurrect those whom He chooses/who accept Him. We do not claim to believe in a dead and failed god, or one who appears like mortal man but is endowed with super powers of some sort like a god in a pantheon. Rather we believe in the Creator, the one and true living God, which is in fact Jesus. Jesus' physical resurrection was therefore quite important to evidencing His authority and claims of divinity.

Yet, because Jesus' physical body resurrected, we shouldn't think that means Jesus is bound to a physical form. Jesus primarily is God and merely took upon Himself human form being found in the nature of man. That is how I see things anyhow.


Edited to take more care in terms used.

[Philip]

When John describes things in Revelation - he actually SEES them! Jesus took on a physical body forever. Humans will have a BODY - if we're just immaterial spirits, why would we need such? An awful lot of what the Bible says about Heaven sounds very physical. It's just that we associate they physical here with things corrupt - but that wasn't always the case. Lots of interesting speculation in Alcorn's "Heaven."

[LittleHamster]

Two possibilities :-

(i) He dumped the old physical body in the woods and it has never been found.
(ii) He de-materialized it and took it with him.

We will never know for sure. (Unless he has specifically told one of us on this forum what he has done)

I speculate it's option (ii). I think it was pretty obvious he had the power of materialization/de-materialization, teleportation, bi-location, transmutation and >insert any other fancy esoteric word with "tion" at the end if it< .

Then, it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to say that he turned his physical body into pure spirit and took off with a flash of bright, white, glorious light. Way to go !

[PaulSacramento]

We know that Jesus body was real, He was touched and He could eat, thus it was a material Body.
We also know that it was not a normal Human body and we have Paul stating that our new bodies after the resurrection ( and it is always a PHYSICAL resurrection in the Bible) will be very different than our old bodies ( imperishable).
The bible is clear that when we die our Spirit returns to God.
The bible is clear that there will be a physical Resurrection of the dead and that those deemed worthy will have different and imperishable bodies.
The bible is clear that a New Jerusalem will be created on Earth and that there will be a New Heaven and New Earth and that the newly resurrected believers will inherit this new Earth and rule with God on Earth.

It should be noted that Jesus' body, which seems to be what ours will be like, was of flesh BUT not of blood ( the marks of the Crucifixion were still there) so that won't contradict the statement that " flesh and blood will not enter heaven".

Of course, context of 1 Corinthians 15 can clear all this up:

1 Corinthians 15 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”[d] 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”;[e] the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall[f] also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

[Philip]

As for Christ's risen body, consider the following:

https://carm.org/jesus-resurrection-was-physical

https://carm.org/jesus-is-a-man