Jesus' Glorified Body: A Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15

 Jesus' Glorified Body: A Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15


One of the most overlooked truths in discussions about resurrection and glorification is the timing and nature of Jesus’ own glorified body. Many assume that Jesus' body was immediately glorified at His resurrection. But does Scripture support that view? From a Full Preterist lens, 1 Corinthians 15 provides a framework that challenges this assumption—and offers powerful implications for our own hope beyond death.


Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom


In 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul says something crucial: “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” This is not a throwaway phrase. It’s a theological anchor. If “flesh and blood” as we know it cannot enter the heavenly realm, then something must change for anyone—including Jesus—to dwell in the fullness of God’s heavenly Kingdom.


This leads to a key point: Jesus’ body was not glorified at His resurrection from the tomb. Rather, He ascended in the same body that was raised, and then it was transformed—glorified—when He entered heaven itself. This aligns perfectly with the consistent biblical theme that resurrection unto glory involves transformation, not merely reanimation.


Jesus Looked Different After His Ascension


When we look at the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection, there are hints of continuity with His earthly form—He could eat, be touched, and had recognizable features. But nothing in those appearances demands that His body had been glorified yet.


In fact, there’s strong evidence that His glorified state came later. Consider Paul’s confrontation with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul sees a blinding light, so powerful he is struck blind (Acts 9:3–8). Later, in Revelation 1, John sees the ascended Jesus with eyes like flames of fire, feet like burnished bronze, and a voice like many waters—a radically transformed appearance, nothing like the earthly Jesus. These visions are not metaphors—they are glimpses of His glorified, heavenly form.


This heavenly transformation did not occur before the ascension—it happened after. Jesus' glorified body is fit for heaven, not earth.


Misconceptions About Jesus "Walking Through Walls"


A common claim is that Jesus’ glorified body could walk through walls, based on John 20:19 where Jesus appears among the disciples even though the doors were locked. But the text doesn’t say He passed through walls. It only says He appeared. As someone who performed miracles throughout His ministry—disappearing from crowds, calming storms, multiplying food—it’s hardly a stretch to say He could have opened the door miraculously, teleported, or simply entered unnoticed. None of these require a "ghost-like" body that ignores the laws of physics. There’s just no clear evidence that He had a new kind of body at that point.


What Happens When We Die?


If Jesus’ glorified body came after His ascension, what does that mean for us? It reinforces Paul’s teaching: when we die, we don’t become disembodied spirits forever. Our hope is not to escape our bodies, but to be clothed with a new, heavenly one (2 Corinthians 5:1–4). The resurrection body is not flesh and blood as we know it—it is transformed, glorious, and fit for the heavenly realm.


As Full Preterists, we affirm that the resurrection and judgment already took place in AD 70. But that doesn’t mean there’s no future hope. When believers die now, they are changed—just like Jesus was changed. We receive new, glorified, spiritual bodies suitable for life in the eternal Kingdom.


Conclusion


The glorification of Jesus wasn’t at the tomb—it was in heaven. He rose in the flesh, ascended in the flesh, and was transformed in the presence of the Father. This truth anchors our own resurrection hope: we too will be transformed, not discarded. Our bodies will not be left behind but renewed. Just like Jesus.

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