Why did some not recognize Jesus at first? (Luke 24:15-32)
Because "their eyes were holden", later "their eyes were opened." Their not recognizing Jesus had to do with the condition of "their eyes."
Luke 24 KJV
15: And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16: But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Luke 24
30: And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31: And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
How did Jesus just "appear" to some in a room, even though the doors were locked? (John 20:26,27)
How did Jesus walk on water with a fleshly body?
How was Philip's fleshly body "caught away that the eunich saw him no more"?
Acts 8
39: And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
1Peter 3:18 shows Jesus was raised in the spirit, not flesh (1 Cor 15:45-50 confirms this process).
1 Peter 3:18 in some translations says that Christ was made alive "in the spirit," not made alive as "a spirit." Remember Jesus' words:
Luke 24
39: Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40: And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
What about the contrast between "in the flesh" and "in the spirit"? Does this phrase necessarily mean that the flesh is dispossessed of? Compare the 1 Peter 3:18 with Romans 8:9. Had the people in Romans 8 became "spirit creatures"?
1 Peter 3 (RSV)
18: For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;
Romans 8 (RSV)
9: But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Maybe Jesus appeared to the Doubting Thomas in human form, for his benifit.......
Even before Jesus appeared to "Doubting Thomas" he appeared to the other disciples, and gave the same evidence (the wound holes) that he later gave Thomas. Therefore, the Watchtowers implication that Jesus only appeared in "a body" with wound holes "to convince Thomas" is wrong.
John 20
19: Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20: And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21: Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22: And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25: The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26: And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27: Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28: And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29: Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
