“Touch me not” (KJV) seems a perplexing command by Jesus in light of the fact that He allowed others to touch Him (Matt 28:9) and even instructed some to do so (John 20:27, Luke 24:39). The verb used here is haptomai which means “to fasten one’s self to, to adhere to, to cling to”. Jesus is telling Mary to stop clinging to Him, and is so translated in most modern versions.

Matthew 28:9  Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.

John 20:27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Luke 24:39  Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

The explanation Jesus gives for not clinging to Him is that He has not yet ascended. The reason this has any bearing on why Mary should or should not cling to Him is twofold. Firstly, His ascension is not imminent and there is no need for her to cling to Him like He is going to leave her forever at this moment. There will be plenty of time for her to say her goodbyes before His ascension. Secondly, Mary is acting as if nothing had changed from before His death on the cross, but Jesus is not returning to His old way of life after His resurrection as did Lazarus. Chrysostom (around 400 A.D.) commented, “To have said, ‘Approach me not as ye did before, for matters are not in the same state, nor shall I henceforth be with you in the same way,’ would have been harsh and high-sounding; but the saying, ‘I am not yet ascended to the Father,’ though not painful to hear, was the saying of One declaring the same thing.” The resurrection of Jesus has dramatically changed things including His relationship with Mary. It has made possible a new and more spiritual relationship which has resulted in making inappropriate the old physical contacts (2 Cor 5:16).

2 Corinthians 5:16  So from now on we regard no-one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Jesus instructs Mary to go tell His “brethren” some things. He is undoubtedly speaking of His disciples and not the sons of His mother. Mary understands it this way because in the following verse we see that it is the disciples to whom she gives this message. Although His disciples were not usually referred to with this term, the exception being (Matt 12:50), and His mother’s sons were (John 2:12, 7:3,10), they did not believe on Him (John 7:5) until later (Acts 1:14) and it would be unlikely that he would send such a message to unbelievers. Again, the resurrection has changed relationships (Heb 2:11). It is interesting to see that Jesus now calls his disciples His “brethren” in spite of the fact that they have recently abandoned Him. Fortunately for us, He doesn’t reject us either when we “abandon” Him by not representing Him as we should or when we disobey Him.

Matthew 12:50  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

John 2:12  After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

John 7:3  Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.

John 7:10  However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

John 7:5  For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Acts 1:14  They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Hebrews 2:11  Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Note that Jesus had work for Mary to do that was better than clinging to Him. There were things she should be doing instead of gratifying her own self (2 Kings 7:9, Acts 20:35). There were others who needed to hear the good news and have their fears and sorrows relieved. The one Jesus chose to bear this good news was Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. This is a reward to her for her faithfulness in serving Him and a rebuke to His disciples who were not. Henry quips that “she becomes an apostle to the apostles.” Never thing that Jesus won’t use you because of what you have done in your past.

2 Kings 7:9  Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

Acts 20:35  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

His message to His disciples is that He will ascend. This will be of great benefit to them and us because:

1. it will enable Him to offer His blood for us in the real Temple (Heb 10:12);
2. it will allow him to become our Advocate (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1Joh 2:1); and
3. He will send the Holy Spirit (Joh 7:39, Acts 2:33). This message is similar to the one brought by the brothers of Joseph to their father (Gen 45:25-26).

Hebrews 10:12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.

Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Hebrews 7:25  Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

1 John 2:1  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

John 7:39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Acts 2:33  Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Genesis 45:25-26  So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.  They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.

Notice that Jesus refers to God as “My Father and your Father” and My God and your God” and does not refer to Him as “our Father” nor “our God.” His relationship with the Father is different from that of His followers. “His Sonship to the Father is by nature and right, theirs is only by adoption and grace, and through Him . . .” (R. H. Lightfoot) Even though different, there is much still the same (Mark 14:36, Rom 8:15).

Mark 14:36  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Romans 8:15  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”