Luke 24:40 · Bible study
Luke 24:40 Commentary: Confirming the Resurrection Body
Greek · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the meaning of Jesus showing his hands and feet in Luke 24:40, confirming the physical reality of his resurrection and the nature of the risen body.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus physically demonstrates his resurrection by showing the wounds in his hands and feet, proving he is the same crucified Lord now alive.
- Key words: edeixen (aorist active of δείκνυμι), “showed,” a completed act of sensory evidence; cheiras and podas, the parts of the body that bore the nails of crucifixion.
- Main debate: Whether the primary purpose is to confirm Jesus’ identity (that he is the same person) or to demonstrate the nature of his resurrection body (physical, not spiritual). Most commentators see both.
- Theological theme: Bodily resurrection; Christology; the continuity between the crucified and risen Lord.
- Best use: Apologetics for the physical resurrection; pastoral care for those wrestling with doubt; preaching on the evidence of Easter.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
KJV King James Version 1769
And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And having said this, he shewed to them the hands and the feet,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And having said this he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y en diciendo esto, les mostró las manos y los pies.
E dizendo isto, lhes mostrou as mãos e os pés.
Et en disant cela, il leur montra ses mains et ses pieds.
Und da er das sagte, zeigte er ihnen Hände und Füße.
En als Hij dit zeide, toonde Hij hun de handen en de voeten.
E detto questo, mostrò loro le mani e i piedi.
A to rzekłszy, pokazał im ręce i nogi.
И, сказав это, показал им руки и ноги.
說了 這話，就把手 和 腳 給他們 看。
And when he had said this, he let them see his hands and his feet.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 24:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse records a deliberate act of physical demonstration. Jesus shows his hands and feet, the parts of his body that bore the marks of crucifixion, as evidence that he is truly risen. Barnes' Notes says Jesus gave them “evidence that he was truly the same person that had been crucified.” Gill calls these “infallible proofs” of his resurrection. Wesley explains he showed them so they could “either see or feel the prints of the nails.” The Cambridge Bible notes that the feet “must therefore have been pierced, and not merely tied to the Cross.” The unanimity is striking: the risen Christ offers sensory confirmation of his physical identity, meeting the disciples’ terror and doubt with wounds they can see and touch.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus showed his physical hands and feet to demonstrate the reality of his bodily resurrection and to confirm his identity to the terrified disciples.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of showing wounds | Jesus intended to provide undeniable proof of his resurrection and identity. | Some emphasize apologetic intent (to convince skeptics), while others see pastoral compassion (meeting the disciples' fear and joy). |
| Nature of the resurrection body | The risen body is physical, tangible, and continuous with the body that died. | Whether the wounds remain in the glorified body eternally as a memorial (many traditions see them as glorified and healed) or if they serve only as temporary evidence for the disciples. |
| Relationship to John 20 | Both accounts describe Jesus showing his wounds to the gathered disciples on Easter evening. | Luke's account emphasizes the eating and the collective disciples; John's adds Thomas's absence and later doubt. They may record the same event with different details. |
| Role of sensory evidence | Jesus invites the disciples to use their senses (sight, touch) to confirm his reality. | Whether this implies that the resurrection body is fully subject to physical laws (eating, touchable) or whether these actions are accommodations for human weakness. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene takes place on Easter evening, as the two disciples from Emmaus have just reported their encounter. Suddenly Jesus himself stands among them (v.36). His greeting, “Peace be to you,” is a familiar salutation, but in this context it carries the weight of the crucified and risen Lord. Yet the disciples are terrified. They assume they have seen a spirit (v.37). In Jewish thought, ghosts or apparitions were feared as omens. Poole's Annotations notes that “spirits sometimes (by God’s permission or direction) assumed human shapes,” which explains their fright.
Jesus responds not with rebuke but with invitation. He calls them to see his hands and feet, the very parts of his body that bore the nails. Crucifixion typically involved nailing the hands and feet to the cross. The Cambridge Bible observes that the feet “must therefore have been pierced, and not merely tied.” By showing these wounds, Jesus demonstrates continuity between his crucifixion and his resurrection. He is no phantom; he carries the scars of his sacrifice. The act also grounds the resurrection in the physical realm, countering any notion that Jesus simply appeared as a disembodied spirit. This emphasis on physicality continues in the next verses, where Jesus eats fish and honeycomb to further prove his bodily existence.
The disciples’ reaction, “they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered” (v.41), reveals a paradox: the good news was almost too much to take in. Barnes describes this as natural: “The news is too good to be true.” Jesus graciously responds by eating in front of them, providing yet more evidence. This progression from fear to joy to faith is the pattern Luke wants his readers to experience.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is consistent across the major manuscript traditions, with no notable additions or deletions in the key witnesses.
Reception History
This verse has been read consistently as a key proof of the physical resurrection. John Wesley noted that Jesus showed his hands and feet so the disciples could “see or feel the prints of the nails.” John Gill called it “infallible proof.” The Cambridge Bible pointed out that the feet must have been pierced, not just tied. In art and liturgy, the wounded hands and feet have become enduring symbols of Christ’s sacrificial love and victorious resurrection. The Reformers and later apologists have appealed to this verse to ground the resurrection in history and to comfort believers that their own bodies will be raised.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Risen Christ Offers Physical Proof, Jesus shows his hands and feet as undeniable evidence of his bodily resurrection, meeting the disciples’ fear with concrete reality.
- The Risen Christ Meets Doubt with Grace, He does not rebuke their unbelief but invites them to touch and see, addressing their hesitation with patience and compassion.
- The Risen Christ Commissions Witnesses, After confirming his identity, he opens their minds to understand Scripture and sends them as witnesses of his resurrection to all nations.
Five-point outline
- Jesus appears suddenly despite closed doors, surprising the disciples (v.36).
- Jesus greets with peace, calming their terror (v.36).
- Jesus shows his hands and feet, inviting physical examination to prove his identity and bodily resurrection (v.39-40).
- Jesus eats broiled fish and honeycomb, demonstrating a real, physical body capable of ordinary human actions (v.42-43).
- Jesus opens their understanding of the Scriptures, connecting his resurrection to the prophetic plan (v.44-45).
Illustration hooks
- A family member returns after being missing for years, and you recognize them by a distinctive scar or birthmark. The wounds become the means of identification.
- A doctor shows a patient their own X-rays after a surgery, pointing to the healed areas as evidence that the procedure worked. The evidence is visual and undeniable.
- A child who has been afraid of the dark asks for a parent to leave the door open. The parent not only opens the door but also stands in the doorway, letting the child see them. Jesus does more than promise peace, he shows himself.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Jesus rose with a glorified body, why did he still have the wounds from the crucifixion? Will we have scars in our resurrected bodies?
- How can I be sure the resurrection was a physical event and not just a spiritual experience or vision?
- Jesus invited the disciples to touch him. What does that mean for us, who cannot see or touch him physically? How do we receive the same assurance?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse sits at the heart of Luke’s resurrection account. Jesus could have simply appeared in glory. Instead, he shows his wounds. Why does he choose this way? What does it tell us about his risen body, and about his care for doubting disciples? Use these questions to guide your group through observation, interpretation, and application.
Discussion questions
- What exactly did Jesus show his disciples in this verse? (Observation)
- Why do you think Jesus chose to show his hands and feet specifically, rather than just saying “I am alive”?
- How does Jesus’ action here address the disciples’ fear that they are seeing a spirit? (Interpretation)
- What does this passage reveal about the nature of Jesus’ resurrected body? In what ways is it the same as the body that died, and in what ways might it be different?
- How does Jesus’ patience with the disciples’ doubt encourage you in your own moments of uncertainty?
- This passage emphasizes physical evidence. In what ways do we rely on the testimony of the apostles rather than direct physical contact today? Is that enough?
- If Jesus appeared to you and showed you his hands and feet, how would it change the way you live? How can we carry that same certainty into daily life?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Jesus gave the strongest possible proof of his bodily resurrection by appealing to the disciples' senses, letting them touch him and watching him eat. This showed he was not a ghost, and it implicitly affirms that a spirit can exist separately from a body. The disciples' initial disbelief came from overwhelming joy, not doubt.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Gospel according to St. Luke : with maps, notes and introduction .. F: d 40 . and his feet ] which must therefore have been pierced , and not merely tied to the Cross.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and feete.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Jesus held out his hands and feet for the disciples to see and touch, making sensory experience the decisive proof. This physical handling was the infallible evidence that Jesus had truly risen in the same real body he took at incarnation, not a ghost or vision.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange calls this appearance the crown of the resurrection day, the moment all earlier events were preparing. Jesus finds His disciples torn between dawning hope and lingering fear, their joy too overwhelming to believe. He patiently overcomes every doubt with tangible proofs of His glorified but real body, not a mere spirit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Jesus appeared five separate times on the day of his resurrection, each to different individuals or groups. The appearance to the eleven disciples at night was the last of these, and their initial terror and later joy show how gradually and personally Jesus convinced them of his real bodily resurrection.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that when Jesus showed his hands and feet, it was a deliberate act to offer the disciples physical proof. They could either see or touch the nail prints, confirming the reality of the resurrection through direct sensory evidence.