That Jesus was not raised in the flesh explains why two of his disciples and Mary Magdalene did not recognize him by his postresurrection physical appearances. They only discerned who he was by what he said or did.​—Luke 24:13-31; John 20:14, 15.

True, for the benefit of doubting Thomas, Jesus did appear with the physical evidence of nail prints in his hands and a spear wound in his side. (John 20:24-29) Yet, even in connection with that manifestation, there is proof that Jesus must have momentarily materialized a physical body of flesh. An eyewitness, the apostle John, reported: “Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and he stood in their midst.” (John 20:26) Manifestly, the apostle John would not have made a point of this if Jesus had simply opened the door and then physically entered the room. Evidently Jesus appeared suddenly in the midst of the disciples; the locked door did not obstruct his entry. This was something a man of flesh could not have done. But it is something that spirit persons in materializing could do.

Similarly, when Jesus was ascending to heaven he remained visible until a cloud caught him up from the physical sight of the disciples. He then must have dematerialized the fleshly body in which he was seen, as had materialized angels on other occasions.​—Acts 1:9-11.

That Jesus simply took on a body to be seen by his disciples, as had angels in the past, is also evident from the fact that he appeared fully clothed. When Jesus was laid in the tomb he was not dressed but was simply wrapped up in fine linen bandages. After his resurrection, these bandages remained in the tomb. So, just as Jesus had to materialize clothing, he also had to take on flesh to make himself physically visible to his disciples.​—Luke 23:53; John 19:40; 20:6, 7.