Jesus told Mary not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven.
In John 20:17, Jesus said, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." Les Feldick teaches this ascension was the first of two, when Jesus went to the Father as the spotless High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Mary could not touch Him because He had to appear before the Father without being defiled by human hands before presenting His blood in the true Holy of Holies.
John 20:17 — Jesus explains directly to Mary that she must not touch Him because He has not yet ascended to the Father.
Leviticus 16:4 — The Day of Atonement required the high priest to be completely clean before entering the Holy of Holies, which Les relates to Jesus's unblemished ascension.
Hebrews 9:11-12 — Les connects Jesus's ascension to His entering the true Holy of Holies with His own blood as High Priest.
In John 20:14, Mary saw Jesus standing but did not recognize Him. When Jesus called her by name, she turned and said "Rabboni" (John 20:16). In her joy, she likely moved to embrace Him, but Jesus said, "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" (John 20:17). Later that day, Jesus showed His disciples His hands and side (John 20:20). A week later, He invited Thomas to reach out and feel His hands and side, saying, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side" (John 20:27). This shows a clear contrast between Mary and Thomas. The Old Testament Day of Atonement instructions show that the high priest had to be clean before entering the holy place (Leviticus 16:4). Hebrews 9:11-12 reveals that Christ entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle with His own blood.
Les Feldick teaches that Mary's natural response on recognizing Jesus was to embrace Him, but Jesus held her at bay with the command, "Touch me not." Les emphasizes the reason Jesus gave: "for I have not yet ascended to my Father." According to Les, this was the first ascension, while the one in Acts chapter 1 was the second ascension. Between these two ascensions, Jesus appears to the disciples and shows them His wounds, inviting Thomas to touch Him (John 20:27). Les connects this to the Day of Atonement and the high priest's cleansing. Before the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, he had to be washed and remain spotless. Jesus was about to go into the true Holy of Holies in heaven as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, not after the order of Aaron. Since Jesus had to be completely spotless and undefiled, He could not be touched by the hands of a person from this defiled earthly realm before He ascended to the Father. This explains why Mary was forbidden to touch Him, while Thomas was later invited to do so.
Les Feldick explains that the difference is the ascension. To Mary, Jesus said "Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father." Later that day, and again a week later, Jesus invited Thomas to touch His wounds: "Reach thither thy fingers, and behold my hands; reach hither thy hand, thrust it into my side" (John 20:27). Since Jesus had already ascended in the meantime, the restriction had been lifted, and He was no longer about to enter the Father's presence as the spotless High Priest.
Les ties the command to the Day of Atonement. The high priest had to wash himself and be completely clean before approaching the Holy of Holies. Jesus, as the true High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, was about to ascend into heaven itself, the true Holy of Holies, and He could not be defiled by human touch before doing so. Les says, "Jesus couldn't even be touched by the hands of a lady like Mary Magdalene. He could not be defiled by human hands."
Les explains that Mary was in the pre-dawn darkness, and the last picture she had of Jesus was His horrible disfigurement on the cross. Isaiah describes Him as more disfigured than any man, and Mary could only remember that. On resurrection morning, Jesus had been healed of that abuse and looked normal again, still with the nail prints. Even though it was the same Christ in a resurrected body, Mary simply couldn't put it all together.
Les calls the ascension that Jesus made in John 20:17 the 'first ascension.' He returns from the Father and later meets the disciples and shows them His wounds. The 'second ascension' is recorded in Acts chapter 1, when Jesus left from the Mount of Olives while the disciples watched Him go. This distinction explains why Jesus told Mary not to touch Him at one moment and later allowed Thomas to touch Him.
Mary's Disfigured Memory of Jesus
Les explains why Mary didn't recognize Jesus — she remembered His awful disfigurement from the cross, so when she saw Him healed on resurrection morning, she didn't recognize Him.
Mary Sees Rabboni and Moves to Embrace Him
Les shows that Mary wanted to embrace Jesus after recognizing Him as Rabboni, but Jesus held her at bay saying 'Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended.'
Mary Wanted to Embrace Jesus
Les describes how Mary wanted to embrace Jesus, but Jesus said 'Touch me not' and sent her to tell the brethren He was ascending to His Father.
Contrast Between Mary and Thomas
Les points out the contrast: Mary was told 'Touch me not,' but Thomas was told to touch Jesus's hands and side — proving the difference was Jesus's ascent to the Father.
First Ascension and the High Priest
Les calls this Jesus's first ascension (the second being Acts 1) and connects it to the need for the High Priest to ascend to the Father before being touched.
Jesus Left the Earth to Ascend
Les explains that Jesus ascended in that moment and connects this to Hebrews 9:11 as the complete record of what took place that Sunday morning.
Jesus Could Not Be Defiled by Human Hands
Les states that Jesus had to ascend as the spotless High Priest and could not even be touched by Mary Magdalene because He could not be defiled by human hands.
Healed of Disfigurement
Les explains why Mary didn't recognize Jesus: pre-dawn darkness and the memory of His beaten, disfigured face, which had now been healed in resurrection.
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 central verse in the question — Jesus Himself gives the reason Mary must not touch Him.
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 Jesus had ascended, Thomas was invited to touch His wounds.
Leviticus 16:4: He shall wash his flesh with water, and put them on.
The high priest's cleansing before entering the Holy of Holies — Les uses this to show Jesus's need to be spotless.
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.
Les connects Jesus's ascension to entering heaven itself as the High Priest with His own blood.
Isaiah 52:14: As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Explains why Mary didn't recognize Jesus — His face was so disfigured at the cross.
No. Jesus told Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father" (John 20:17). Les Feldick teaches the reason was His need to remain spotless before ascending to the Father as the Heavenly High Priest. Later He invited Thomas to touch His hands and side, proving His body was real.
Jesus had already ascended to the Father between His meeting with Mary and His later appearance to Thomas. Les Feldick calls Jesus's meeting with Mary the 'first ascension' and the event in Acts 1 the 'second ascension.'
It was fulfilled in His first ascension, when He went to the Father that same day as the spotless High Priest. After that, He returned to appear to His disciples. Les teaches this is why He said He had 'not yet ascended' to Mary.
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