Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father.
In John 20:17 Jesus says, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." Les Feldick teaches that Jesus, as High Priest, first had to enter the heavenly Holy of Holies in impeccable purity before returning to appear to the disciples. The restriction was temporary, since later Jesus invited Thomas to touch His hands and side.
John 20:17 — This verse contains the command and the reason Jesus gives: He had not yet ascended to the Father.
John 20:27 — Demonstrates that the restriction was temporary, because Jesus later invited Thomas to touch His wounds.
Hebrews 9:11-12 — Describes Christ entering the heavenly holy place as High Priest, which Les connects to the reason for the command.
In John 20, Mary Magdalene finds the sepulcher empty and is weeping. Jesus appears and speaks to her, and she supposes Him to be the gardener until He calls her name. In John 20:17 Jesus says, "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." Later in the same chapter, Jesus shows that this restriction was not permanent. In John 20:27 He tells 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." The biblical text itself gives the reason for Mary's command in Jesus' own words: He had not yet ascended to the Father.
Les Feldick pictures the scene at the tomb: when Mary hears Jesus call her name, her natural impulse is to embrace Him, but Jesus stops her and says, "Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father." Les calls this a first ascension, separate from the later ascension of Acts 1. Les then connects the command to the Old Testament Day of Atonement. The high priest had to wash himself and his clothing until they were impeccably clean before he could approach the Holy of Holies. In the same way, Jesus—about to enter the Holy of Holies in heaven as High Priest—could not be touched by a defiled earth person before that ascent. Les points out that this was not a general ban on touching the risen Lord. A few hours later, Jesus tells Thomas to touch His hands and side. The restriction applied only until Jesus had entered the throne room of heaven.
Les teaches that Jesus had to ascend to the Father before returning to appear to the disciples. He calls this the first ascension and distinguishes it from the second ascension in Acts 1, when Jesus left from the Mount of Olives. Jesus' words to Mary are given as the reason for the "Touch me not" command.
In John 20:27, Jesus tells Thomas to reach his finger and behold His hands, and to thrust his hand into His side. Les highlights this contrast: Jesus said "touch me not" to Mary, but to Thomas He invited physical contact. By then, Jesus had already ascended to the Father and returned.
Les looks back to the Day of Atonement, when the high priest had to wash repeatedly so he was impeccably clean before entering the Holy of Holies. In the same way, Jesus, as High Priest about to enter the heavenly Holy of Holies, could not be touched by a defiled earth person. Les says Hebrews 9 gives the complete record of what happened as Jesus left the confines of the earth.
No. Mary first supposed He was the gardener, and later Jesus invited Thomas to touch His wounds. Les comments that Thomas touching was "for real"—Jesus was physical. The restriction was tied to the moment before His ascent to the Father, not to any lack of physicality.
Resurrection Morning Context
Les sets the scene in John 20: Mary finds the empty tomb, runs to Peter and John, and they for the first time believe the Scriptures.
Mary's Impulse to Embrace Jesus
Les reads John 20:15-17, showing Mary supposed Jesus was the gardener and that when He said her name, she wanted to embrace Him—but He said, "Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father."
First Ascension vs. Second Ascension
Les explains that Jesus' command to Mary was not contradictory to inviting Thomas to touch Him later, and he calls the ascension after the resurrection the first ascension, with Acts 1 as the second.
Why Mary's Restriction Is Unusual
Les contrasts Mary's command not to touch with Thomas, who was told to touch His wounds, showing the prohibition had to do with the moment, not with Jesus' physical reality.
Mary's Natural Inclination to Embrace
Les emphasizes Mary's natural human response—wanting to embrace the risen Lord—and reads the reason: "for I am not yet ascended to my Father," noting the Father is in heaven.
The Ascent Before Appearing to the Eleven
Les teaches that Jesus had to first ascend into the throne room of heaven and then return to appear to the eleven, which is why Mary was told not to touch Him.
High Priestly Cleansing and the Heavenly Holy of Holies
Les connects the command to the Day of Atonement: the high priest had to be impeccably clean to approach the Holy of Holies, and since Jesus was going into the heavenly Holy of Holies, He could not be touched by a defiled earth person.
The Complete Record in Hebrews 9
Les calls the resurrection-morning ascent the first ascension and points to Hebrews 9 as the complete record of Jesus leaving the earth and entering the true holy place as High Priest.
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.
This is the direct command to Mary and the reason Jesus gives for it.
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.
This shows the temporary nature of the earlier prohibition, as Jesus invites Thomas to touch His wounds.
Hebrews 9:11-12: 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; 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.
This describes Jesus entering the heavenly holy place as High Priest, which Les connects to His need to ascend before being touched.
John 20:15: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
This shows that Mary did not initially recognize Jesus and thought He was the gardener.
No. The command was only to Mary at that moment. Later in the same chapter, Jesus told Thomas to reach his finger and thrust his hand into His side. Les explains the limitation was because Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father.
Les calls Jesus' ascent to the Father on resurrection morning (John 20:17) the first ascension. The later visible departure from the Mount of Olives in Acts 1 is the second ascension.
She supposed Him to be the gardener (John 20:15). She recognized Him when He called her name and answered, "Rabboni."
Les compares Jesus to the high priest on the Day of Atonement, who had to be washed and impeccably clean before entering the Holy of Holies. Jesus was about to enter the heavenly Holy of Holies and could not be touched by a defiled earth person.
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