Today marks forty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and scripture tells us this is the day on which Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. There is a verse in John however related to Jesus’ ascension that has caused a lot of head scratching over the years. It has confused me, and I am sure you too, as to just what is meant by what Jesus said.
“But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus's body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? " "Because they've taken away my Lord," she told them, "and I don't know where they've put him." Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. "Woman," Jesus said to her, "why are you crying? Who is it that you're seeking? " Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you've carried him away, tell me where you've put him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni! " -- which means "Teacher." "Don't cling to me," Jesus told her, "since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord! " And she told them what he had said to her.” John 20:11-18
So, in this passage, Mary is at the tomb looking for the body of Jesus. It is not there, the tomb has already been opened by the angel, and the tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. It’s important to understand that the angel did not open the tomb so that Jesus could get out, but instead so the disciples could see it was empty and Jesus had already risen from the dead. Scripture tells us that He had already risen before the tomb was opened. Jesus after His resurrection is in His glorified body. This is a physical body, one that the disciples are later invited to touch and examine. Jesus also eats with the disciples, demonstrating that it is in fact a physical body. But, it is also more than that. Jesus can appear and disappear in different locations instantaneously, and through locked doors. His glorified body exhibits the marks of His death, but is not affected by it at all. It is more than just a physical body as He had before. We will all receive a glorified body, and will be as He is scripture tells us (1 Cor. 15, 1 John 3:2).
But, Mary discovers Jesus in HIs glorified resurrected body at the tomb and overcome with joy embraces Jesus. Jesus tells Mary “do not touch me” as some translations say, or more correctly, “don’t cling to me”. Many explanations have been given for why Jesus says this to Mary.
One explanation is that Jesus has not yet fully ascended to heaven and to the Father, and therefore is in some sort of in-between state, not fully a physical body yet. Jesus does not want Mary to touch HIm because he is not fully physical yet. But, there is not scriptural evidence that Jesus was in some sort of in-between spiritual/physical state prior to ascending to heaven. Instead it indicates that He was already in His glorified body, which we have already discussed as being a normal physical body in all appearances.
Another explanation is that Jesus is in the process of fulfilling His High Priestly role as mediator between God and man. In this state, He cannot become ceremonially unclean prior to presenting the blood offering, just as Jewish Priests serving in the temple could not offer the blood sacrifice in the holy of holies on the bema seat of the ark of the covenant if they had become unclean. Mary touching Jesus would have made Him unclean, and therefore unable to present His own blood sacrifice to the Father on behalf of mankind to cleanse us of our sins. But again, there is no scriptural evidence that this is the case. Jesus would have already presented the blood sacrifice to the Father immediately after His own death on the cross. There would not have been a three day waiting period to present the blood sacrifice. Additionally, it is doubtful that Jesus could have been considered “unclean” at this point by any means.
The best explanation it seems to me is the most simplest…Jesus was simply telling Mary “don’t hold on to me”, I will be ascending to my Father in heaven soon, but I am not going yet. I will be around for forty more days to spend time with you and the other disciples. We will have time to eat together, talk, and for me to disciple you a little bit more and to explain what has happened and what is coming next. There is time Mary for all of this, I am not leaving you just yet. And we know that is just what happened. Jesus spent forty days talking to His disciples, answering questions, appearing to large groups of people, and telling His disciples just what to expect to happen next. They had an appointment with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on the Feast of Shavuot, also known as Pentecost, ten days after He ascended to heaven.
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