John 20:17-18 17Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet gone up to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that he had said these things to her.
It is difficult to understand verse 17 from a literal and historical perspective. Mary apparently wanted to touch Jesus, possibly in the form of a hug, which is a natural and universal expression of care. John does not clearly say that she actually touched Jesus but at least wanted to. The verb touch (haptou) can have various meanings, including touching, holding, or clinging. Mary could have been holding on to Jesus, or Jesus could have pre-empted her from touching him. Logically, the second option makes better sense because of what Jesus says next. After he ascended, he would be in an exalted state, forever different than his earthly existence. Was he halfway in between his human state and divine state? Was he in a state of immateriality or a spiritual body, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44? Another way to interpret this verse is to see Mary as attempting to keep Jesus on earth when he had a greater mission and goal of returning to the Father. His statement here has nothing to do with his physical state but with his mission to complete what the Father sent him to do.
Jesus had other plans for Mary. She had a mission to complete. She was right person to go and announce to the other disciples that she had seen the risen Jesus. Significantly, Jesus wanted her to announce the completion of his mission and not his resurrection. His resurrection was obvious. What the disciples needed to know and be reminded of was Jesus’ goal of completing his mission as the exalted Son of God, Lord over all creation, victorious over sin, death, and Satan. Once he was ascended, the Holy Spirit would come in power to send the disciples out into the world with the full message of complete salvation through the exalted Son. The urgency in Jesus’ statement comes with the realization that his remaining time on earth was limited. The divine plan prepared before the creation of the world was moving quickly now. Jesus connects his disciples with himself and the Father’s plan by stating how the disciples were now privileged to call God their Father. They were key players in God’s plan for the salvation of the world. They would be the first witnesses and become the foundation for a new people of God.
Verse 18 records Mary’s simple obedience. The disciples may have been wondering about what had happened after Peter and John returned from the empty tomb. Mary came bearing the answer to these questions. Her simple statement serves as the first witness to Jesus’ resurrection: I have seen the Lord. Between his resurrection and ascension, Jesus appeared to over five hundred people who all could say that they saw him raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:6). Luke 24:11 records that the disciples did not believe her at first. The news was too illogical or perhaps too overwhelming to accept. The evidence was mounting, however, and they would soon know for sure. Mary Magdalene was a significant early Christian whom Jesus rescued, gave new hope to, and entrusted the most important message of his resurrection. She has been affirmed throughout church history and serves as a model of simple faith and obedience. She had her own journey of faith to take, and it was not easy and even filled with its own moments of doubt and uncertainty.
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