11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.” (John 20:11–18 (ESV)
All four Gospels parallel each other concerning the events on Resurrection Sunday. The Holy Spirit specifically inspired one of two of the writers to provide particular information not found in the other Gospels. While each writer provides selective, insightful information, they do not contradict each other in telling the wonderful news that Jesus Christ is alive. Such is the case with today’s text from John.
John 20 records Jesus’ appearances to the following individuals: Mary Magdalene (vs. 1-18), the ten disciples (vs. 19-23), and to Thomas (vs. 24-29). “Once again John’s purpose in recording these resurrection appearances was to demonstrate that Jesus’ physical and bodily resurrection was the crowning proof that he truly is the Messiah and Son of God who laid down his life for his own (John 10:17–18; 15:13; cf. Rom. 1:4),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.
Upon Mary’s recognition of Jesus, she clung to Him desperately. To cling (ἅπτω; hapto) means to hold on to tightly seize. Once Mary saw Jesus alive, she held on to Him and would not let go. Jesus gently command her to not do so. This was not because of He was some ghostly apparition but because He would be with her for another 40 days until He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:1-11).
“What Jesus probably means is this: “Do not think, Mary, that by grasping hold of me so firmly (cf. Matt. 28:9), you can keep me always with you. That uninterruptible fellowship for which you yearn must wait until I have ascended to be forever with the Father.” Jesus did not object to being touched. Otherwise, how can we explain his word to Thomas? See John 20:27. What he condemned was Mary’s mistaken notion that the former mode of fellowship was going to be resumed, in other words, that Jesus would once again live in daily visible association with his disciples, both men and women. The fellowship, to be sure, would be resumed; but it would be far richer and more blessed. It would be the communion of the ascended Lord in the Spirit with his Church,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“Jesus was telling Mary that He was not yet leaving to return to heaven. She was holding on to Him as if she would never see Him again, but she would see Him again before His departure. It was not yet time to say goodbye,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.
Jesus then commanded Mary to go and tell His disciples, the eleven, He was alive. Mary obediently did so.
“Jesus’ disciples were slow to recognize that He rose from the dead because there was some kind of change in His physical appearance after the resurrection. We do not know exactly what this change was, but both Mary Magdalene and the disciples on the road to Emmaus did not realize they had seen Jesus face-to-face after His resurrection until He revealed Himself to them more clearly (Luke 24:13–35; John 20:14). Although the same body of Jesus that died was raised, something about His glorified body was different from His body before His death. His resurrected body is a spiritual body, not in that it is nonphysical but in that it is suffused by and transformed into incorruptible flesh by the Holy Spirit. We will be changed in like manner when our bodies are resurrected (1 Cor. 15:35–49),” concludes Dr. Sproul.
Soli deo Gloria!
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