John 20:17-18 (NIV)
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
When Mary Magdalene looked up and discovered that the man she was talking to outside the empty tomb was Jesus, alive again after being crucified, dead, and buried, she was completely overwhelmed with joy. She embraced Him in a tight hug that threatened to smother Him.
Jesus let her hold onto Him for just a moment, but then pulled Himself away. There was much to do now that He had risen, and of first importance was letting the disciples know that His body hadn’t simply vanished, but that He was really alive again, just as He had foretold.
So, He cautioned Mary that, joyful as she was, she needed to not stand there hugging Him. She needed to go and tell the disciples that He had risen, and that she had seen Him in person.
Jesus’ statement about returning to His Father seems confusing, especially the way that Jesus worded it. Even though people usually think of the Father living “up” somewhere beyond earth’s atmosphere, God’s presence is everywhere. So, Jesus wasn’t talking here about the ascension, which would come later. Jesus had risen from the dead, not simply like Jairus’ daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, or even Lazarus, whose spirits were enabled to reanimate their current, albeit healed, bodies. Instead, He had risen and experienced the transformation of His physical body into the form that everyone will receive at the general resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-55).
In that new form, His body itself was able make a smooth transition to standing in God’s presence. And He would be doing that right away, not permanently, as He would after the ascension, but for a time, in order to receive His marching orders for the next forty days. Then He would be back to speak with His followers.
In the meantime, He gave Mary the task of immediately going and delivering the good news to Peter, John and the rest that Jesus had truly risen!
Father, it would have been very easy for Mary, in her joy, to try to move Jesus into her agenda now that He was back. But even then, Jesus was only focused on doing Your will completely. Help each of us to have that same intensity of focus, that same dedication to your will that Jesus had, every moment, regardless of the circumstances. Amen.
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