We hear much about “the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ,” but very little about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body. Why? Out of 31,000 verses in the Bible, not one of them mentions a resurrection of Jesus’ body. But, how about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body?

“We have been made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”—Hebrews 10:10 NIV

Most Christian churches and preachers claim that Jesus’ physical body was resurrected. However, the Bible, as we can see above, says that Jesus’ body was sacrificed. What does that mean?

According to Numbers chapters 28 and 29, “burnt offerings” (Numbers 29:39 NIV) were to be made by God’s people, the Israelites, “each day” of the year (Numbers 28:3 NIV), plus additional “burnt offerings” every “Sabbath day” (Numbers 28:9 NIV), “on the first of every month” (Numbers 28:11 NIV), and even more on other festival days they were commanded to observe in the spring and fall each year.

What was a burnt offering? An animal was slaughtered by Israel’s priests at the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, and later at the Temple in Jerusalem, and then its body was skinned, “cut into pieces”, placed on an altar with a wood fire burning, and then “the priest [was] to burn all of it on the altar” (Leviticus 1:5-9 NIV). The purpose of the burnt offering was to “make atonement for” an individual, a family, or the nation of Israel as a whole (Leviticus 1:4 NIV). How does this relate to Jesus’ sacrifice of his body?

“When Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased”—Hebrews 10:5,6 NIV

“Burnt offerings” of animals did not eliminate sin, but only provided temporary atonement. Why?

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeatedly endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”—Hebrews 10:1,4,11 NIV

Rather, it is “this priest [Jesus Christ] offered for all time one sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:12 NIV). What sacrifice did Jesus Christ offer? – It was “himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time” (Hebrews 10:12 NLT), “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19 NIV), his perfect, sinless “body” (Hebrews 10:10).

What kind of “body” did Jesus Christ have?

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity . . . fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:14,17 NIV)

“The Word [Jesus] became flesh”—John 1:14 NIV

“He appeared in the flesh”—1 Timothy 3:16 NIV

Jesus was completely 100% “flesh”, “fully human in every way”, while he was on earth prior to his death. The scriptures themselves say nothing about his supposedly being some sort of “God-man”!

“He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself”–Hebrews 7:27 NIV

Although Jesus, was, in effect, a whole burnt offering, his body was not literally burned up. 

“How much more, then will the blood of the Christ,  who . . . offered himself unblemished to God”—Hebrews 9:14 NIV

“He was put to death in the body”—1 Peter 3:18 NIV

Many Trinitarians claim that Jesus Christ was a “God-man” on earth, being both “flesh and spirit at the same time,” and that only his body died, but he, as spirit, did not die. However, notice how such an idea is refuted by what the Bible clearly says:

“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many”—Hebrews 9:28 NIV

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures”—1 Corinthians 15:3

Not just the man, Jesus, died for our sins, but it was “Christ,” the not some so-called “God-man”, who died for our sins. Yes, Jesus “Christ” did definitely die for our sins. However, his Father, Almighty God, did not die, because:

“God is not human”–Numbers 23:19 NIV

“Surely you, Yahweh . . . my holy God, will never die”—Habakkuk 1:12 NJB

Almighty God has never been human, and can “never die”, but Jesus Christ was human on earth and did die, “according to the scriptures.”

After Jesus execution, “Joseph” “of Arimathea . . . asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had been laid.” “He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away”—Matthew 27:59,60 NIV; Luke 23:51-53 NIV

“The next day . . . the chief priests and the Pharisees . . . went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard”—Matthew 27:62,66 NIV

With the brand new tomb, “in which no one had been laid” with “a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb” with “a seal on the stone” and a “guard” watching over it constantly, there was no chance of theft, or mix-up, of Jesus Christ’s body.

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning . . . women [disciples of Jesus] went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus”—Luke 24:1-3 NIV

“Some of our companions [the apostles Peter and John] went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus”—Luke 24:24 NIV

How did Jesus’ body vanish from the sealed and guarded tomb? Since “Christ . . . was . . . made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 NIV), and “became . . . a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45 NIV), that is, he was resurrected, not in his former physical body, but as a spirit. God obviously eliminated, or consumed, Jesus’ physical “body” [that God had] prepared for” him, as if a whole burnt offering  (Hebrews 10:5-10 NIV).

The Scriptures are very clear that Jesus Christ was not resurrected with, or in, his former physical, fleshly body, but as a spirit being. 

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”—1 Corinthians 15:50 NIV

“We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body”—Hebrews 10:19,20 NIV

Thus, Jesus gave up his physical, fleshly body, and Almighty God, his Father consumed it in the tomb, because:

“Christ [including his body] was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28 NIV), and “made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 NAB).

Christ’s resurrection as “a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45 NIV) was real, not imaginary, or symbolic. Jesus was literally resurrected, not in the flesh, but as a spirit. If his physical body had been resurrected, that would have been tantamount to God taking back, or undoing, what was sacrificed, that is, “the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:19 NIV).

The sacrifice of Jesus’ body proves that his physical body was not resurrected. The Bible plainly says he was resurrected as a spirit!