Luke 24:43

KJV

And he took [it], and did eat before them.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} he took {G2983} it, and did eat {G5315} before {G1799} them {G846}.

Complete Jewish Bible

which he took and ate in their presence.

Berean Standard Bible

and He took it and ate it in front of them.

American Standard Version

And he took it, and ate before them.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 24:43 recounts a crucial post-resurrection event where Jesus, appearing to His startled disciples, takes a piece of broiled fish and eats it in their presence. This simple yet profound act served as irrefutable physical proof of His bodily resurrection, dispelling their fears and doubts that they were seeing a spirit. It solidified the tangible reality of His triumph over death, providing a foundational assurance for the disciples and for all future believers in the physical nature of Christ's glorified body.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is positioned at the climax of Luke's resurrection narrative, immediately following Jesus' appearance to the eleven apostles and those with them in Jerusalem. The disciples' initial reaction was one of terror and the belief that they were seeing a ghost or spirit ([Luke 24:37](/luke/24-37 "Luke 24:37 - Disciples' Fear of a Spirit")). Jesus first addressed their fear by inviting them to examine His hands and feet, emphasizing His physical presence and the reality of His wounds ([Luke 24:39](/luke/24-39 "Luke 24:39 - Jesus Shows His Wounds")). Despite this, they were still "disbelieving for joy, and wondering" ([Luke 24:41](/luke/24-41 "Luke 24:41 - Disciples' Disbelief and Wonder")), a state of overwhelmed astonishment that bordered on inability to accept the truth. It is in this context of lingering doubt, even amidst great joy, that Jesus performs the act of eating, providing yet another layer of undeniable, empirical evidence of His physical, resurrected body. This scene sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent teaching on the fulfillment of Scripture and the Great Commission ([Luke 24:44-49](/luke/24-44-49 "Luke 24:44-49 - Jesus Explains Scripture and Commissions Disciples")).

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient world, and particularly within Jewish thought, the concept of a spirit or ghost was distinct from a physical body. A spirit was understood as immaterial and intangible, incapable of physical actions like eating. Therefore, for the disciples to assume Jesus was a spirit meant they believed He was not physically present. The act of eating was universally recognized as a definitive sign of physical life and embodiment. By consuming food, Jesus directly countered the prevalent belief that spirits could not interact with the material world in such a fundamental way. This demonstration was not merely for show; it was a culturally intelligible and scientifically verifiable (for their time) proof that His resurrection was not a resuscitation, a spiritual apparition, or an illusion, but a genuine, bodily transformation. The disciples' initial fear and subsequent wonder highlight the profound paradigm shift required to grasp the reality of a resurrected human body.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several major theological and narrative themes within Luke's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. The most prominent is the **Physical Reality of the Resurrection**, underscoring that Jesus' victory over death was comprehensive, affecting His entire being—spirit, soul, and body. He was not merely spiritually revived, but physically glorified. This act also addresses the theme of **Overcoming Disbelief and Doubt**, as Jesus patiently and tangibly provides evidence to His struggling disciples, demonstrating His compassion for their human limitations and honest questioning. Furthermore, it speaks to **Jesus' Continued Humanity** in His resurrected state; while glorified, He retains aspects of His human nature, including the ability to eat. This unique state of being both fully human and fully divine in a glorified body is central to understanding the person of Christ and the hope of the believer's future resurrection body, as discussed in passages like [1 Corinthians 15](/1_corinthians/15 "1 Corinthians 15 - The Resurrection of the Dead").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **took (Greek, _lambánō_):** This verb signifies "to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of))." In this context, it emphasizes Jesus' deliberate and active reception of the food. It wasn't merely offered to Him, but He actively "got hold of" it, underscoring His physical interaction with the material world. This active taking reinforces the tangibility of the event.
* **did eat (Greek, _phágō_):** A primary verb meaning "to eat (literally or figuratively)." Here, its literal sense is paramount. The act of consumption is the definitive proof. There is no ambiguity; Jesus physically ingested the food, demonstrating a bodily function that a spirit cannot perform. This simple verb carries immense theological weight, confirming the physical reality of His resurrected body.
* **before (Greek, _enṓpion_):** This preposition means "in the face of (literally or figuratively):--before, in the presence (sight) of, to." Its use here highlights the public and verifiable nature of Jesus' act. He did not eat in secret but openly, "in the presence" and "in the sight" of His disciples. This public demonstration was crucial for dispelling their doubts and providing credible witness to His resurrection.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he took [it],"**: This clause describes Jesus' active engagement with the food offered to Him. The implied "it" refers to the broiled fish and honeycomb mentioned in the preceding verse ([Luke 24:42](/luke/24-42 "Luke 24:42 - Food Offered to Jesus")). His action of "taking" the food signifies a physical interaction, a tangible connection with the material world, immediately countering the idea that He was an ethereal spirit. It's a deliberate, physical grasp, confirming His bodily presence.
* **"and did eat before them."**: This is the climactic action of the verse. Jesus' act of eating is the ultimate, undeniable proof of His physical, resurrected body. Eating is a function of a living, physical organism, not a spirit. The phrase "before them" emphasizes that this was a public, witnessed event. The disciples were direct observers, allowing them to verify with their own senses that the one standing before them was indeed the physically resurrected Jesus, not an illusion or a ghost. This public consumption served to solidify their understanding and dispel any lingering doubt about the reality of His bodily resurrection.

#### Literary Devices
Luke employs several literary devices to emphasize the significance of this moment. The primary device is **Empirical Evidence**, as Jesus provides tangible, sensory proof (seeing, touching, and now observing Him eat) to overcome the disciples' disbelief. This is reinforced by **Verisimilitude**, the quality of appearing true or real, achieved through the mundane yet profound act of eating. The simple, direct language used to describe Jesus' actions ("took," "did eat") enhances the sense of reality and avoids any mystical or ambiguous interpretations, making the event utterly straightforward and undeniable. Furthermore, the scene functions as a powerful **Symbolism** of life and reality; eating is fundamental to physical existence, and Jesus' ability to do so symbolizes His complete victory over death and His full, physical return to life.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 24:43 is a cornerstone verse for understanding the nature of Jesus' resurrection. It definitively establishes that Christ's resurrection was not merely spiritual or a resuscitation to mortal life, but a bodily transformation into a glorified, yet tangible, state. This physical reality is essential because it underpins the Christian hope of a future bodily resurrection for believers and affirms the completeness of Christ's victory over sin and death, affecting not only the soul but also the body. It demonstrates that God's redemptive plan encompasses the physical creation, validating the goodness of the material world and foreshadowing the new heavens and new earth where redeemed bodies will dwell.

* [John 20:27](/john/20-27 "John 20:27 - Jesus Invites Thomas to Touch Him")
* [1 Corinthians 15:3-4](/1_corinthians/15-3-4 "1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - The Gospel Message of Christ's Death and Resurrection")
* [Philippians 3:20-21](/philippians/3-20-21 "Philippians 3:20-21 - Our Citizenship in Heaven and Glorified Bodies")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The scene in Luke 24:43 offers profound encouragement and challenges for contemporary believers. In a world often skeptical of the supernatural and prone to doubt, Jesus' patient and tangible demonstration of His resurrection serves as a powerful reminder of the historical and physical reality of our faith's foundation. It calls us to ground our belief not in mere sentiment or abstract ideas, but in the concrete, verifiable acts of God. Just as Jesus met His disciples' fear and disbelief with concrete evidence, so too does He meet us in our doubts, inviting us to examine the evidence of His work in history and in our lives. This verse also inspires us to live with the hope of our own future bodily resurrection, knowing that our redemption is holistic, encompassing spirit, soul, and body. It encourages us to use our physical bodies as instruments of righteousness, anticipating the day when they will be transformed into glorious, immortal forms.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What specific doubts or fears do you sometimes harbor about the reality of Christ's resurrection, and how does Jesus' act of eating address them?**
* **How does the physical reality of Jesus' resurrection impact your understanding of your own body and its future hope?**
* **In what ways can you, like Jesus, patiently and tangibly offer evidence of God's reality to those who doubt or question?**
* **How does the completeness of Jesus' victory (overcoming death in body and spirit) encourage you in the face of life's challenges and the inevitability of death?**

### FAQ
**Why did Jesus need to eat after His resurrection if He had a glorified body?**

Answer: Jesus' act of eating was not out of necessity (as a mortal body requires food for sustenance), but out of demonstration. His glorified body was no longer subject to the limitations of mortal flesh, yet it retained the ability to interact physically with the world. By eating in front of His disciples, Jesus provided irrefutable proof that He was not a spirit or an illusion, but the same Jesus they knew, now resurrected in a tangible, physical form. It was a pedagogical act, designed to dispel their profound doubts and confirm the bodily nature of His resurrection, which is a central tenet of Christian faith ([1 Corinthians 15:14](/1_corinthians/15-14 "1 Corinthians 15:14 - If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 24:43 provides a profound Christ-centered fulfillment by showcasing the unique nature of Jesus' resurrected body, which is simultaneously physical and glorified, bridging the gap between our present reality and the future new creation. This act of eating demonstrates that Jesus' victory over death was not merely spiritual but holistic, encompassing His entire being. He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep ([1 Corinthians 15:20](/1_corinthians/15-20 "1 Corinthians 15:20 - Christ as the Firstfruits")), and His resurrected body serves as the pattern for the future resurrection bodies of believers. Just as He ate and was tangible, so too will believers receive glorified bodies that are real and capable of interacting with the new heavens and new earth, embodying the fullness of redemption ([Philippians 3:21](/philippians/3-21 "Philippians 3:21 - Our Glorified Bodies")). This scene foreshadows the ultimate fellowship in the Kingdom of God, where believers will feast with Christ in the marriage supper of the Lamb ([Revelation 19:9](/revelation/19-9 "Revelation 19:9 - The Marriage Supper of the Lamb")), a tangible and joyous communion made possible by the physically resurrected Lord who conquered death in His own body. His eating confirms His enduring humanity even in glory, assuring us that our High Priest fully understands our human experience, having truly walked among us and now reigning in a body that bears the marks of His sacrifice and the glory of His triumph ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our Sympathetic High Priest")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 10:41

Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, [even] to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.