THE FOUR BODIES OF JESUS

The Lord Jesus Christ had four distinct, individual bodies.

MATERIAL BODY

The first body of Jesus was His material body. This is the body referred to in John chapter one: “The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as from the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.”

Jesus had a flesh and blood body just like ours. He became hungry like us. When He fasted forty days He afterward hungered. He sat on a well and said to a woman, “Give Me to drink.” And remember He was tempted in all points like as we are and yet without sin.

MYSTICAL BODY

His second body was His mystical body. In Colossians one Paul tells us that, He is the head of the body the Church that in all things He should have the preeminence.

When the Lord appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus He asked him, “Saul, Saul why persecutest thou Me?” As far as Jesus was concerned any one who persecuted the Church was persecuting Him. Actually for any one to find fault with the ordinances of the Church whether it be the Lord's Supper or baptism is to find fault with Jesus. We cannot separate the Lord from His Church. The Church is the body of Christ

MEMORIAL BODY

His third body is His memorial body. In Matthew twenty-six when He instituted the Lord's Supper He said, “This is My body,” and again He said, “This is My blood.”

When the Apostles ate the loaf and drank the fruit of the vine they did not eat His material body or drink His blood. Some think that when the priest serves the communion that it is changed into the actual body and blood of the Lord. It can be noted that the bread does not taste like flesh and the fruit of the vine does not taste like blood. It is still bread and fruit of the vine. This is My body this is My blood; it is His memorial body.

MAJESTIC BODY

The fourth body of Jesus is His majestic body. John mentions this in his first epistle when he said, “We know that when He shall appear we shall see Him as He is and we shall be made like Him.”

Paul tells us in First Corinthians fifteen, “At the Lord's return in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

These are the four bodies of Jesus. The Material body offered up once for all as a sacrifice for our sins. We become a part of the Mystical body when we believe repent and are baptized for the remission sins. We partake of the Memorial body in memory of His sacrifice for us and at His return in glory we shall see Him as He is and be made like Him. Think on these things as you eat the bead and drink of the fruit of the vine.