The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. After Jesus was crucified and buried, He rose from the dead on the third day, just as He had foretold. The resurrection validated Jesus’ claims to divinity and served as proof that He had conquered sin and death.
Two important post-resurrection appearances of Jesus are recorded in the Gospel of John. In John 20, Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene outside His tomb. When she recognizes Him, she exclaims “Rabboni!” (meaning teacher). Jesus then says to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father” (John 20:17).
Later, in John 20:24-29, Jesus appears to ten of the disciples who are gathered together. However, Thomas, who has become known as “Doubting Thomas” is absent. When the other disciples tell Thomas they have seen the risen Lord, Thomas states he will not believe unless he personally sees the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and puts his fingers where the nails were, and puts his hand into Jesus’ side where He was pierced.
Eight days later, Jesus again appears to the disciples with Thomas present this time. Jesus invites Thomas to touch His wounds, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). Upon seeing Jesus in person, Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and my God!”
At first glance, Jesus’ words to Mary and Thomas on these two occasions seem contradictory. Why did Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him, but then invite Thomas to do so? There are a few key factors that help explain the difference.
Jesus’ Ascension Had Not Yet Occurred
When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, it was very soon after His resurrection. As Jesus said, He had “not yet ascended to the Father” (John 20:17). Jesus was making the profound point that the relationship between Him and His followers was now changed. Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus dwelt on earth in a physical body like ours subject to the same limitations. But now, He had a resurrected glorified body. His ascension into heaven was imminent.
Mary, as a devoted follower of Jesus, must have wanted desperately to touch Him and cling to Him as she did before He was crucified. But Jesus was explaining that He would no longer be present with her and the disciples in the same way. His ascension would dramatically change how believers would relate to and interact with Him.
In His glorified state, Jesus had to ascend to the Father before people could have close, intimate fellowship with Him again. By telling Mary not to cling to Him, Jesus was preparing her for His bodily ascension. He was calling Mary to have faith and trust that although His physical presence on earth would be limited, His spiritual presence would be with her.
Jesus Wanted Mary to Proclaim the News
There was another reason Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him. Rather than remain focused on Christ’s physical presence, He wanted her priority to be sharing the monumental news of His resurrection with the others.
Jesus said to Mary, “But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17). Jesus’ resurrection was the turning point of history and the fulfillment of prophecy. This message needed to be spread rapidly, starting with the disciples.
The excitement and joy of seeing Jesus again could have easily distracted Mary and kept her riveted at the tomb if Jesus had not prohibited her from clinging to Him. Jesus directed Mary’s attention instead to testifying about Him, for the sake of the greater good of the proclamation of the gospel.
Jesus Accommodated Thomas’ Doubt
In contrast to Mary, when Jesus appeared to Thomas, His ascension had already taken place. Jesus had returned to the Father. Additionally, there is no record of Jesus giving any instruction to Thomas to stop touching Him. Thomas had publicly declared he would not believe unless he could personally see and feel Jesus’ wounds.
For Thomas’ benefit and to remove all doubt, Jesus graciously accommodated Thomas’ request. He met Thomas precisely where he struggled in belief. Jesus understood Thomas needed tangible, physical evidence and He lovingly provided it. Though Jesus preferred those who believed without seeing, He did not rebuke Thomas for his doubt.
Rather than focus on Jesus’ spiritual, glorified body, Thomas was fixated on Christ’s physical body. Jesus allowed Thomas to probe His earthly body to confirm the reality of His resurrection. In this case, touching helped remove Thomas’ unbelief and resulted in his dramatic profession of faith.
Jesus’ Priority Was Different for Mary and Thomas
In summary, Jesus prohibited Mary from clinging to Him because He wanted to emphasize that His ascension necessitated a new mode of relating to Him based on the spiritual rather than the physical. His priority for Mary was proclaiming the news of His victory over death to others.
For Thomas, Jesus knew exactly what the hesitant disciple needed to believe. He accommodated Thomas’ doubt, knowing that tangible evidence would result in an irrepressible expression of faith. Jesus graciously met Thomas at his point of need.
Though Jesus’ instructions to Mary and Thomas differed based on their particular situations, His love and sensitivity towards each of these devoted followers shone through. Both Mary and Thomas responded to the risen Christ with wholehearted devotion, one through sharing the gospel message, the other through an awestruck profession of faith.
This account displays Jesus’ perfect wisdom and compassion in relating to His followers. The risen Savior knew exactly how to meet them where they were at in order to draw them into closer fellowship with Himself. As in Mary and Thomas’ lives, so Jesus lovingly deals with each of His children today.