Touch me not ?

[Rollo Tamasi]

Twinc, what kind of answer are you looking for.

He doesn't know or else he'd ask it.

 

[TOG]

All the feasts of the Lord have some prophetic significance. The reason Jesus didn't want her to touch him and why he had to ascend and then come back down, had do do with the fullfilment of the prophecies in the Feast of First Fruits. That's about as simple as I can make it. I can give you more details if you want, but I'm at work now and don't have the time. I can do it when I get home tonight.

The TOG​

 

[Mike S]

What the Lord was saying is "Do not detain me now", since He was to first ascend to the heavenly Sanctuary -- the Holy Place -- as our Great High Priest and "by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb 9:12). We are not told at what point He ascended with the souls and spirits of the OT saints, but that could also have happened then (Eph 4:8-10).

Also, Mary needed to learn that she could not (just as Paul could not) "know Christ after the flesh" (in His original humanity) any longer. That she was to be a messenger for the Risen Lord at this point. We seem to forget that absolutely none of Christ's disciples actually anticipated His resurrection, Mary included. They were prepared to embalm Him and leave Him in His tomb.

I agree with this analysis. Mary did not yet realize that Jesus had not simply shown up alive in the same manner that he'd been alive in his earthly body before the crucifixion. Jesus is emphasizing the fact that his body was now a glorified body that had a final act to be performed on it, the ascension.

Let's not forget that this event was also reported on in the Gospels of both Mark and Mathew. None is a first hand report since each is relating an explanation that came to them second or third hand from Mary herself, or even from tradition, decades after the resurrection. We may never know exactly what John's words meant, or even if they're more important than the words of Mark and Matthew. There are mysteries to our theology which I'm willing to live with without having it effect my faith.

 

[poetofparables]

He doesn't know or else he'd ask it.

Sure look's that way.

 

[Edward]

And if He did (and I do think you are right) it leaves me wondering why.
I'm sure it's some spiritual thing that is over my head...

This is probably the most realistic answer for most of us.He had just risen and things were different now.. Something to do with spiritual overtones. It had nothing to do with her being female. It had to do with Him being spiritual.

 

[twinc]

This is probably the most realistic answer for most of us.He had just risen and things were different now.. Something to do with spiritual overtones. It had nothing to do with her being female. It had to do with Him being spiritual.

yes - imho here is what the Christian message is really about but is unacceptable to most Christians - as is and has been the case elsewhere where I have been banned by those who should know better but not entering in or accepting refuse to allow others to do so - twinc