What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like?
I. WE WILL HAVE A RESURRECTED BODY LIKE THE ONE JESUS HAS
A. We will have a resurrected body that will be conformed to Jesus’ resurrected body.
20 Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for…Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform
our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body… (Philippians 3:20-21)
B. Jesus now has a glorious physical body that is filled with God’s power. The Father custom designed Jesus’ body,
giving Him the very best design that the Father could create using His infinite wisdom and power. It is a physical body that
has all the necessary capacities to express the glory of God to the fullest measure. It is a body far superior in glory to what
the angels have.
C. Jesus rose from the dead as the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” In other words, our resurrected body
will be like Jesus’. The “first fruits” of a harvest were the first ones ripe and ready to harvest. The point was that the
remaining harvest would be similar to it.
20 Now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
(1 Corinthians 15:20, 23)
D. We must search out the passages that give us insight in Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 28:1–20; Mark 16:1–8;
Luke 24:1–53; John 20:1–21:25; Acts 1:1-11). Jesus, after His resurrection, looked like the Jesus they knew. There were
times when the disciples immediately recognized Jesus (Matthew 28:9, 17; John 20:19–20, 26–28; 21:7, 12).
E. Jesus did not always appear in His glory. Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize Him (John 20:14–16).
She mistook Him as the gardener (John 20:15). It was in the dark (John 20:1).
14 When she (Mary Magdalene)…turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was
Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"…She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said
to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (John 20:14–16)
F. The disciples touched Jesus and saw his hands and side. The disciples ate fish with Him (John 21:12–13). Jesus
ate bread (Luke 24:30) and fish to prove that He had a physical body
9 Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet… (Matthew 28:9)
G. The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Him at first (Luke 24:13–32).
15 So it was, while they conversed…Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were
restrained, so that they did not know Him….27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…30 As He sat at the table with them, that He took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He
vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:15–31)
H. Jesus terrified the disciples in Jerusalem when He appeared to them (Luke 24:37).
36 Now as they (disciple on road to Emmaus) said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and
said to them, "Peace to you." 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
(Luke 24:36-37)
I. Jesus had a physical body with flesh and bones that could eat food.
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and
bones as you see I have. (Luke 24:39)
50 I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God… (1 Corinthians 15:50)
J. Peter testified that the disciples ate and drank with Jesus.
40 God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41…to witnesses chosen before by God, even to
us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. (Acts 10:40-41)
K. Jesus possibly walked through walls (Scripture does not say this explicitly) on two occasions when doors were “shut”
(John 20:19, 26). Jesus still had the scars from the nail prints in his hands and feet and from the spear in His side
(John 20:27).
19 When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 Now when He had said this, He showed them
His hands and His side….24 Now Thomas…was not with them when Jesus came. 25…He said to them,
"Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my
hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside…Jesus came, the
doors being shut, and stood in the midst…27 He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My
hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side." (John 20:19-27)
L. Jesus broke bread with the disciples then vanished from their sight. Jesus could seemingly materialize and
dematerialize with His physical body
31 He vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:31)
M. Jesus appeared to the disciples in His resurrected body to teach them for forty days.
3 He presented Himself alive after His suffering…being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God….9 While they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him
out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men
(angels) stood by them in white apparel 11 who said, "Men of Galilee…this same Jesus, who was taken
up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:3, 9-11)
N. Jesus’ body is filled with light (glory, color, etc). His royal robes are radiant with light.
1 O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty…2 Who cover Yourself with
light as with a garment… (Psalm 104:1-2)
O. Jesus is the light of the world in the full sense of its meaning in the New Jerusalem.
12 I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall…have the light of life. (John 8:12)
24 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb
is its light. The nations...shall walk in its light... (Revelation 21:24)
3 The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it (New Jerusalem) …5 They need no lamp nor light of the
sun, for the Lord God gives them light. (Revelation 22:3-5)
P. Jesus’ eyes have fire in them which speaks of His holiness and His ability to impart warmth and tenderness. There
is a tenderizing affect that we will experience when in His Presence.
14 His eyes like a flame of fire... (Revelation 1:14)
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire… (Revelation 19:12)
Q. Jesus’ glory is brighter and stronger than the sun.
23 The moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and
in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously. (Isaiah 24:23)
13 At midday…along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those
who journeyed with me. 14 When we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking saying…, “Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 26:13-14)
4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand… (Habakkuk 3:4)
R. The sun shining in its strength spoke of that which surpasses John’s ability to look at it. It is impossible to look
directly into the sun in the brightest hours of a sunny day.
16 His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:16)
2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun… (Matthew 17:2)
S. Jesus is the brightness of the Father’s glory.
3 Being the brightness of His (Father’s) glory… the express image of His person… (Hebrews 1:3)
II. OUR RESURRECTED BODY WILL BE FILLED WITH GOD’S GLORY
A. The Scripture that gives us the most detail about our resurrected bodies is in 1 Corinthians 15:12–58.
41 There is one glory of the sun…another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 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…51 We shall not all sleep (physically die)…52 the dead will be raised
incorruptible…53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality….
(1 Corinthians 15:41-53)
B. Our eternal body will have the same supernatural properties and abilities that Jesus' body has.
14 God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. (1 Corinthians 6:14)
C. We will be raised up together with Jesus and others that we ministered with while on earth.
14 Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
(2 Corinthians 4:14)
D. There will be a vast range of degrees of glory in our resurrected bodies. The largest star known is the Pistol Star,
which has a mass over 100 times that of the Sun, and is 10 million times brighter.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)
III. WHAT WILL OUR RESURRECTED BODY BE LIKE?
A. Our five senses will be touched by the power of God.
1. Sight – seeing at a distance and at close range
2. Hearing – at distances and with great perception and perfect balance, etc.
3. Taste – enjoyment of food and water to the fullest degree (1 Corinthians 10:31; Revelation 22:1-2)
4. Touch – to have glorified physical senses
5. Smell – to enjoy and discern
B. Supernatural abilities to think – understanding, leadership, reason
C. Supernatural abilities to communicate – speech, musical, singing
D. Supernatural abilities in strength – speed, endurance, lifting objects, no fatigue, sickness
E. Supernatural abilities in travel – flight and speed
F. Supernatural abilities related to the material realm – passing through walls?
G. Supernatural beauty – physical countenance, fragrance, light, color, etc.
IV. OUR RESPONSE TO KNOWING ABOUT OUR RESURRECTED BODIES
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)