Jesus had to ascend to the Father before Mary touched Him because He was acting as the spotless High Priest who had to enter the heavenly tabernacle undefiled.
Mary Magdalene recognized the risen Jesus and moved to embrace Him, but Jesus said, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father" (John 20:17). Les Feldick explains that on that resurrection morning Jesus still had to go immediately into the Father's presence as the impeccable High Priest — He could not be defiled by human hands before ascending to the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews 9:11-12 describes Christ entering that greater and more perfect tabernacle in heaven. After that first ascension, Jesus permitted the disciples, including Thomas, to touch Him.
John 20:17 — The verse where Jesus tells Mary "Touch me not" and gives the stated reason: "I am not yet ascended to my Father."
Hebrews 9:11-12 — Describes Christ as High Priest entering the greater and more perfect tabernacle in heaven, which Les identifies with the resurrection-morning ascent.
John 20:17 records Jesus' words to Mary Magdalene on resurrection morning: "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." The reason Jesus Himself gives for the prohibition is that He had not yet ascended to the Father. In the same chapter, after that ascent, John 20:27 records Jesus inviting Thomas: "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." Hebrews 9:11 says Christ is come "an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building." Verse 12 adds that "by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 4:14 also states, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."
Les Feldick teaches that "Touch me not" was not arbitrary. Mary recognized Jesus and naturally moved to embrace Him, but Jesus held her at bay because He could not be defiled by human hands. Just as the High Priest had to be spotless, "Jesus couldn't even be touched by the hands of a lady like Mary Magdalene... He could not be defiled by human hands." He had to ascend "in the impeccableness" of that High Priest before entering the Father's presence. Les calls this the "first ascension" — the ascent to the Father that took place early on resurrection Sunday morning, while Mary ran to tell the eleven — and distinguishes it from the second ascension in Acts 1, when Jesus left from the Mount of Olives. He points to Hebrews 9 as "the complete record then of what took place early that Sunday morning": Christ entering the greater and more perfect tabernacle in heaven as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. As Melchizedek's priest, Jesus is not limited to Israel but covers "the whole spectrum of humanity," making Him the High Priest of all believers. After that ascent, the prohibition ended. Jesus appeared to the disciples and told them to touch Him and check His wounds, and later invited Thomas to touch His hands and side.
Jesus told Mary, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father." Mary's response was human — she was evidently going to embrace Him, thrilled to see Him alive. But as the High Priest, Jesus had to ascend in impeccableness; He "could not be defiled by human hands." This is why He held Mary at bay, and it is also why, a few hours later, after the ascent, He told Thomas to touch the wounds in His hands and side.
Les Feldick calls Jesus' resurrection-morning ascent to the Father the "first ascension." When Jesus said, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; to my God, and to your God," He was referring to this immediate ascent — not the Acts 1 event. Les says Jesus ascended "in that moment of time while Mary runs to tell the twelve." The "second ascension" is Acts 1, when He left from the Mount of Olives as the disciples watched Him go.
Hebrews 9:11-12 describes Christ as "an high priest of good things to come" who entered "a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands" — a tabernacle in heaven. Les says this is "the complete record then of what took place early that Sunday morning," as Jesus left the confines of this earth in time and yet also in eternity. He connects it to the pattern of the tabernacle Moses was instructed by Jehovah to build on Mount Sinai, which was a pattern of the tabernacle in heaven.
Jesus is not a High Priest after the order of Aaron — that priesthood was only for the Jew. He is High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, which means He covers the whole spectrum of humanity and is the High Priest of whomsoever might believe. Because He passed into the heavens and presented His own blood, Hebrews 4 says believers have a Great High Priest who "can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Les draws the positive contrast: we now have a High Priest who can be touched, even though Mary was told "touch me not" before His ascent.
Mary's Confusion at the Tomb
Les describes how battered Jesus appeared at His death and why Mary initially mistook Him for the gardener — background that makes her joy and her attempt to embrace Him understandable.
The Spotless High Priest
Les explains that as High Priest Jesus had to ascend in impeccableness; He could not even be touched by Mary Magdalene's hands because He could not be defiled by human hands. He also notes that Jesus' Melchizedek priesthood covers all humanity.
The First Ascension
Les identifies Jesus' resurrection-morning ascent to the Father as the "first ascension," distinct from His Acts 1 ascension from the Mount of Olives, and points to Hebrews 9 as the record of what happened that morning.
Mary's Embrace and the Timing
Les narrates how Mary was about to embrace Jesus, how He stopped her because He had not yet ascended, and how after He ascended the disciples were told to touch Him and examine His wounds.
Hebrews 9: The Greater Tabernacle
Les connects John's "don't touch me until I have ascended" to Hebrews 9:11-12: Christ, as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, entered a greater and more perfect tabernacle in heaven — which is why He had to ascend on resurrection morning.
High Priest of All Humanity
Les emphasizes that Jesus is High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, not just for the Jew but for everyone, and that early that Sunday morning He had to immediately go into the very presence of the Father in the heavenly tabernacle patterned from Mount Sinai.
The High Priest Who Can Be Touched
Les contrasts the negative "touch me not" with the positive truth that Christ passed into the heavens and believers now have a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of their infirmities.
From Bear Hug to "Touch Me Not"
Les contrasts Mary's attempted bear hug with Jesus' command "Touch me not," noting that just a few hours later He told Thomas to touch His wounds — the difference being His ascent to the Father.
John 20:17: Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
The key verse of the question: Jesus forbids Mary's touch and states the reason — He has not yet ascended to the Father.
John 20:27: 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.
Shows the contrast: after the ascent, Jesus explicitly invites Thomas to touch Him.
Hebrews 9:11: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Les cites this to show Christ's destination on resurrection morning was the heavenly tabernacle.
Hebrews 9:12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Explains why He had to ascend: as High Priest He entered the holy place in heaven by His own blood.
Hebrews 4:14: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Confirms Christ passed into the heavens as the great High Priest.
Hebrews 4:15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Les uses this to show believers now have a High Priest who can be touched.
Jesus said "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father" (John 20:17). Les Feldick teaches that Jesus, acting as the spotless High Priest, had to ascend to the Father before allowing human contact, because He could not be defiled by human hands before entering the heavenly tabernacle. After that ascent, Jesus invited Thomas to touch His hands and side.
Les Feldick calls the resurrection-morning ascent the "first ascension" — the moment Jesus left the confines of this earth to enter the Father's presence — and the Acts 1 departure from the Mount of Olives "the second ascension." The first ascension is the one Jesus referenced when He told Mary, "I ascend unto my Father."
Hebrews 9:11-12 describes Christ as High Priest entering "a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands" — that is, heaven — by His own blood. Les Feldick sees this as the record of what took place early that Sunday morning when Jesus left the earth and went into the very presence of the Father.
Because the prohibition was temporary. When Mary met Jesus, He had not yet ascended to the Father. A few hours later, after that first ascension, Jesus appeared to the disciples and told Thomas to reach out and touch His hands and side.
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