After His resurrection, why did Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him, but later tell Thomas to touch Him?

Answer

Jesus tells Mary, “Touch Me not” «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. », (John 20:17, KJV); but then later, speaking to Thomas, He says, “Reach hither thy finger and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side” (verse 27). The apparent inconsistency of Jesus’ statements is resolved when we examine the language Jesus used and consider the fundamental difference between the two situations.

In John 20:17, the term translated as “touch” is a Greek word that means “to cling to, to lay hold of.” This was not merely a touch; it was a firm grasp. Clearly, when Mary recognized Jesus, she immediately clung to Him. Matthew 28:9 also mentions the other women doing the same thing when they saw the resurrected Christ.

Mary’s reaction may have been driven by several factors. One is simply her deep devotion to the Lord. Overwhelmed by the events of the morning, as her sorrow turns to joy, she naturally embraces Jesus. Another factor is Mary’s longing to restore the fellowship that death had disrupted. Having lost Him once, she was determined not to lose Him again—she wanted to keep Jesus with her always. Additionally, Mary may have believed that this was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to return «And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. », (John 14:3), in which case He would take her (and all believers) with Him to heaven.

However, it was not Jesus’ intention to remain in this world indefinitely, and His resurrection was not to be understood as His promised return. That is whyHe informs Mary about the ascension. His intention was to ascend to the Father and then send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7;John 20:22;Acts 2:1-4). Fellowship with Jesus would persist, but it would be a spiritual connection, not a physical presence.

By releasing Mary’s grasp on Him, Jesus was essentially conveying this message: “I understand that you wish to keep Me here, always by your side. I know you desire everything to remain just as it was before I passed away. However, our bond is about to transform. I am going to heaven, and you will have the Comforter in My place. You must begin to walk by faith, Mary, not by sight.”

When Jesus addressed Thomas, it was not to counter a misguided wish but to address a lack of faith. Thomas had declared that he would not believe unless he had touched Jesus’s living body «The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. », (John 20:25). Jesus, aware of Thomas’s statement, presented His body as tangible evidence of His resurrection. He had done this on a previous occasion as well (Luke 24:39-40).

Therefore, both Mary and Thomas required more faith. Mary needed faith to release Jesus. Thomas needed faith to believe without tangible proof. Mary needed to loosen her hold; Thomas needed to fortify his. The risen Christ provided both of them with the necessary faith.