John 20:17

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. JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, TOUCH ME NOT; FOR I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER: - `Old familiaries must now give place to new and more awful, yet sweeter approaches; but for these the time has not come yet.' This seems the spirit, at least, of these mysterious words, on which much difference of opinion has obtained, and not much that is satisfactory been said. BUT GO TO MY BRETHREN. (Compare ; ; .) That He had still our Humanity, and therefore "is not ashamed to call us brethren," is indeed grandly eviden...

17._Touch me not. _This appears not to agree with the narrative of Matthew; for he expressly says, that the women _held him _By The Feet,_and worshipped him, _(Matthew 28:9.) Now, since he allowed himself to be _touched _by his disciples, what reason was there for forbidding Mary to _touch _him? The answer is easy, provided that we remember that the women were not repelled from _touching _Christ, till their eagerness to _touch _him had been carried to excess; for, so far as it was necessary for removing doubt, he unquestionably did not forbid them to _touch _him, but, perceiving that their attention was too much occupied with embracing _his feet, _he restrained and corrected that immoderate zeal. They fixed their attention on his bodily presence, and did not understand any other way of enjoying his society than by conversing with him on the eart

11-18 We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with affection, and seek in tears. But many believers complain of the clouds and darkness they are under, which are methods of grace for humbling their souls, mortifying their sins, and endearing Christ to them. A sight of angels and their smiles, will not suffice, without a sight of Jesus, and God's smiles in him. None know, but those who have tasted it, the sorrows of a deserted soul, which has had comfortable evidences of the love of God in Christ, and hopes of heaven, but has now lost them, and walks in darkness; such a wounded spirit who can bear? Christ, in manifesting himself to those that seek him, often outdoes their expectations. See how Mary's heart was in earnest to find Jesus. Christ's way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word applied to their souls, speaking to them in particular. It might be read,...

Verse John 20:17. _TOUCH ME NOT_] μη μου απτου, _Cling not to me_. απτομαι has this sense in Job 31:7, where the Septuagint use it for the Hebrew דבק _dabak_, which signifies to _cleave, cling,_ _stick_, or _be glued to_. From Matthew 28:9, it appears that some of the women _held him by the feet and worshipped him_. This probably Mary did; and our Lord seems to have spoken to her to this effect: "Spend no longer time with me now: I am not going immediately to heaven - you will have several opportunities of seeing me again: but go and tell my disciples, that I am, by and by, to ascend to _my_ _Father and God_, who is _your Father and God_ also. Therefore, let them take courage....

TOUCH ME NOT ... - This passage has given rise to a variety of interpretations. Jesus required Thomas to touch him John 20:27, and it has been difficult to ascertain why he forbade this now to Mary. The reason why he directed Thomas to do this was, that he doubted whether he had been restored to life. Mary did not doubt that. The reason why he forbade her to touch him now is to be sought in the circumstances of the case. Mary, filled with joy and gratitude, was about to prostrate herself at his feet, disposed to remain with him, and offer him there her homage as her risen Lord. This is probably included in the word touch in this place; and the language of Jesus may mean this: “Do not approach me now for this purpose. Do not delay here. Other opportunities will yet be afforded to see me. I have not yet ascended - that is, I am not about to ascend immediately, but sha

EXPOSITION JOHN 20:1 2. The complete glorification of Jesus in his resurrection. The record pauses for the awful day of that great sabbath, and resumes the marvelous recital when the greatest event in the history of the world is assumed and asserted to have taken place. Heathen and foes admit the fact of the death of Jesus; the evidence is overwhelming, multiform, sufficient to establish itself to the ordinary reason of mankind. It is a matter of indubitable history. The proof was given to all the world; but it is otherwise with the fact of the anastasis of Jesus. That stupendous event was revealed to the eye and mind of faith by a series of communications, which afford to different classes, groups, kinds, and states of mind specimens of the manner and quality of the resurrection-life. "Many infallible proofs" wrought (as St. Luke says,...

JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, TOUCH ME NOT,.... Not that his body was an aerial one, or a mere "phantom", which could not be touched; the prohibition itself shows the contrary; and besides, Christ's body was afterwards presented to Thomas, to be touched by him, and to be handled by all the disciples; and his feet were held by the women, which is what Mary would have now done: upon the discovery of him, she threw herself at his feet, and was going to embrace and kiss them, to testify her affection and joy, when she is forbid; not as unworthy of the favour, because she sought him among the dead, for which the angels reproved her and the rest; but either because he was not to be conversed with, as before his death, his body being raised immortal and glorious; or rather, because he had an errand to send her on to his disciples, which required haste; nor need she stay now to show her respect to him,...

John 20:1. _The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher._ Her love for her Lord made her rise early, and helped her to overcome the fear which would have prevented many from going out "when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher." There are fears which some cannot shake off in the dark, and those fears would be apt to become intensified in going to a sepulcher in the dark; but love wakes early to try to find Christ, and love can see in the dark when looking for Jesus. Mary little expected to find the tomb of Jesus rifled, and the stone rolled away; she was so surprised at what she saw that she hurried away to tell the story to other friends of her Lord. John 20:2. Then she runneth, and cometh t

TOUCH ME NOT Compare (Matthew 28:9); "and they came and held him by the feet." A contradiction has been supposed. Three views are held: (1) That Jesus speaks to Mary as the High Priest fulfilling the day of atonement (Leviticus 16). Having accomplished the sacrifice, He was on His way to present the sacred blood in heaven, and that, between the meeting with Mary in the garden and the meeting of (Matthew 28:9). He had so ascended and returned: a view in harmony with types. (2) That Mary Magdalene, knowing as yet only Christ after the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:15) and having found her Beloved, sought only to hold Him so; while He, about to assume a new relation to His discip

CHAPTER 20 _ 1. The Empty Sepulchre. (John 20:1 .)_ 2. The Risen One and Mary of Magdala. (John 20:11 .) 3. The Gathered Company and He in the midst. (John 20:19 .) 4. The Second Time. (John 20:24 .) 5. The Purpose of John's Record. (John 20:30 .) “I lay down my life that I might take it up again.” The sufferings were accomplished. The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep and now we learn how He arose from the dead. John 2:19 was fulf