Ascension To Heaven

Dear Victorious,

I've been in a Bible study at my church that's looked at Jesus' death and resurrection. I understand that He ascended into heaven. But wasn't this really just a spiritual ascension? Wasn't His resurrected body just a spirit that people could see? I don't see how a true physical body could just disappear from the face of the earth.

Estelle N. - Conroe, TX

Dear Estelle,

Part of the miracle of Jesus' resurrection is that it was a full body resurrection. It was not just His spirit that was walking around, witnessed by more than 500 people. The Bible tells us the the disciples touched Him, ate with Him, etc. So He had a physical body in the flesh. And that is what ascended into heaven.

Ironically, Jesus' ascension to heaven was not the first time a physical body ascended directly to heaven. Enoch was taken to heaven in bodily form without actually dying here on earth. (Genesis 5:21-24). Then Elijah was taken to heaven in bodily form without dying here on earth. (2 Kings 2:11)

What made Jesus different from Enoch and Elijah was that He actually did go through a human death experience here on earth. Then Jesus was resurrected (i.e., brought back to life) in the same human body. Later, after hundreds of people had seen and talked and fellowshipped with Him in His resurrection, He too ascended into heaven without dying.

If we could understand how this occurred, it wouldn't really be a miracle.