A GHOST DOES NOT HAVE FLESH / LUKE 24:39

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Luke 24:39

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

More Than a Phantom: Embracing the Physical Reality of the Resurrection

In a world filled with abstract concepts and spiritualized ideas, it is easy to relegate the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the realm of the poetic. We talk about his memory living on in our hearts, or his spirit guiding our paths. But on that first Easter Sunday, as the disciples huddled together in fear and confusion, Jesus shattered their assumptions with a startlingly grounded declaration.

In the Gospel of Luke 24:39, the risen Savior stands among his terrified followers and says, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When Jesus appeared in that locked room, the disciples did not immediately break into songs of praise. Instead, they were startled and frightened, assuming they were seeing a phantom or a ghost. Their reaction was entirely human. They knew Jesus had died. They knew his body had been mangled on a Roman cross and sealed behind a massive stone. The only logical explanation their minds could conjure was that his restless spirit was visiting them.

But Jesus firmly corrected this superstition. He did not want them to settle for a disembodied memory. He invited them to engage their physical senses—to look at the nail marks, to reach out their hands, and to feel the solid reality of his resurrected flesh and bones. To prove the point even further, he later sat with them and ate a piece of broiled fish. Ghosts do not eat dinner.

This physical reality matters immensely for our faith today. The resurrection is not a metaphor. Christ’s victory over death was a literal, physical triumph. By raising Jesus bodily from the grave, God affirmed the goodness of creation and the tangible value of our human existence. It means that the ultimate hope of the Christian faith is not an eternity as floating, shapeless spirits in an ethereal cloud, but a future restoration where our own bodies will be redeemed and perfected.

When you encounter doubts or feel like your faith has become nothing more than a list of intellectual concepts, remember the scars of Jesus. He still bears the marks of his love for you, preserved in a resurrected body that is as real today as it was in that upper room. He invites us to look, to believe, and to find anchoring peace in the historical reality of the empty tomb.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, we praise You as the resurrected and reigning King. Forgive us for the times we spiritualize Your truth or treat Your victory as a mere story. Thank You for the physical reality of Your resurrection, which guarantees our eternal hope and proves that death has been fully swallowed up in victory. When doubts rise in our hearts and fear threatens to steal our peace, open our eyes to see You clearly. Let the truth of Your nail-pierced hands and feet ground our faith today. Fill us with the joy of Your presence and empower us to live as bold witnesses of Your living reality. In Your holy and mighty name, we pray. Amen.

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