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.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' instruction to Mary, "Do not cling to me," isn't about a physical prohibition but a shift in their relationship: the familiar, earthly connection is ending, and a new, spiritual communion through faith is about to begin. He's signaling that His resurrection marks the start of His ascension, transforming how they will relate to Him. The powerful declaration, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God," redefines family, showing that Christ's victory makes God the Father of believers in a deeply intimate, shared way.
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.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Mary Magdalene has just encountered the risen Jesus, her initial joy and recognition giving way to a desire to cling to him. Jesus gently redirects her, explaining that this physical clinging must cease, not because He is rejecting her, but because a new, spiritual communion is about to begin. He then instructs her to go and announce His impending ascension to the Father to His disciples, emphasizing their shared relationship with God.
Mary Magdalene's immediate reaction was to cling to Jesus. Why did Jesus say, 'Do not cling to me,' and what did He mean by it?
When Jesus tells Mary Magdalene, “Do not cling to me,” He’s not forbidding her touch, but rather a particular kind of clinging. She was so overcome with joy at seeing Him alive that she wanted to hold onto the familiar, earthly presence she had lost.
The End of an Era
Jesus’ resurrection marks a transition. The physical, earthly relationship they shared was coming to a close. He was moving into a new phase of existence – one that would be experienced differently.
Communion Through Faith
As scholars point out, the Greek word translated 'cling' implies holding on, fastening oneself. Jesus was gently redirecting Mary’s intense joy. He explained that He had not yet ascended to the Father, meaning His work of preparing the way for a new kind of spiritual presence was not yet complete. True, lasting communion with Him would soon be possible through the Holy Spirit, a connection that transcends physical presence. This new way of relating would be through faith, not just sight or touch.
Jesus calls the disciples 'my brothers' and declares God as 'my Father and your Father.' What makes this declaration so powerful?
Jesus’ declaration, “I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God,” is incredibly profound. It establishes a radical new identity for His followers.
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From Servants to Siblings
By calling them 'my brothers,' Jesus is not ignoring their failures – their fear, their flight, their denial. Instead, He is declaring that His victory over death has united them to Him in a familial way. He shares their humanity, now glorified. This new relationship means they are no longer just servants, but beloved siblings in God's family.
A Unified Divine Relationship
The phrase 'my Father and your Father, my God and your God' is revolutionary. Jesus is saying that the very God He relates to – His Father, His God – is now also the Father and God of these disciples. This isn't just a shared title; it means they now have access to the same divine source of love, strength, and authority that Jesus Himself experienced. His unique relationship with the Father becomes the basis for their own relationship.
Understand the original words
haptou · Greek Verb
To hold onto, grasp, or cling to something. In this context, it suggests a desire to hold onto the physical presence of Jesus as He existed before His glorification.
anabainō · Greek Verb
To go up or move to a higher place; used in the New Testament to describe Jesus' return to the presence of God the Father in heaven after His resurrection.
Jesus' instruction to Mary reveals that his resurrection marked a transition from a physical, earthly presence to a spiritual, heavenly one. The new relationship with God as 'Father' is offered to believers through Christ's ascension, not through continued earthly clinging.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Resurrection
Jesus is crucified, dies, and is buried. On the third day, he is raised from the dead, appearing to various individuals and groups over a period of 40 days.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower, is the first to encounter the resurrected Jesus outside his tomb. She is overwhelmed with joy and initially tries to cling to him.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Great Commission to Mary
Jesus instructs Mary Magdalene to go and tell his disciples that he is ascending to his Father and their Father, his God and their God, signaling a new phase of relationship.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus Appears to Other Disciples
Following his resurrection, Jesus makes multiple appearances to his disciples, including the women at the tomb, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and the apostles.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus Ascends to the Father
After 40 days of appearances, Jesus is visibly taken up into heaven, a pivotal event that marks the completion of his earthly ministry and the inauguration of his heavenly reign.
c. AD 30-33
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Ten days after Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples at Pentecost, empowering them to carry on Jesus' mission and establishing the Church.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' statement, emphasizing that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers, which connects to His calling the disciples 'my brothers' after His resurrection.
John 16:7Jesus explains that His going to the Father is necessary for the coming of the Holy Spirit. This provides context for why Jesus tells Mary not to cling to Him, as a new, spiritual form of presence is about to be established.
Matthew 28:10This parallel account shows Jesus also sending the women to tell the disciples, reinforcing the urgent mission given to Mary and highlighting the continuity of His care for them, even after His resurrection.
John 14:18Jesus promised He would not leave His disciples as orphans but would come to them. This verse illuminates the assurance in John 20:17 that His relationship with them is not over, but entering a new phase as He ascends to the Father.
Genesis 17:7-8This Old Testament passage establishes God's covenant promise to be God to Abraham and his descendants. Jesus' statement 'my God and your God' builds upon this covenant, showing His ascension solidifies God's enduring relationship with His people.
barnesJohn 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."
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 t…
vincentJohn 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."
Touch me not (μή μοῦ ἅπτου)The verb, primarily, means to fasten to. Hence it implies here, not a mere momentary touch, but a clinging to. Mary thought that the old relations between her Lord and herself were to be renewed; that the old intercourse, by means of sight, sound, and touch, would…
Jesus' instruction to Mary, "Do not cling to me," isn't about a physical prohibition but a shift in their relationship: the familiar, earthly connection is ending, and a new, spiritual communion through faith is about to begin. He's signaling that His resurrection marks the start of His ascension, transforming how they will relate to Him. The powerful declaration, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God," redefines family, showing that Christ's victory makes God the Father of believers in a deeply intimate, shared way.
Mary Magdalene has just encountered the risen Jesus, her initial joy and recognition giving way to a desire to cling to him. Jesus gently redirects her, explaining that this physical clinging must cease, not because He is rejecting her, but because a new, spiritual communion is about to begin. He then instructs her to go and announce His impending ascension to the Father to His disciples, emphasizing their shared relationship with God.
Mary Magdalene has just encountered the risen Jesus, her initial joy and recognition giving way to a desire to cling to him. Jesus gently redirects her, explaining that this physical clinging must cease, not because He is rejecting her, but because a new, spiritual communion is about to begin. He then instructs her to go and announce His impending ascension to the Father to His disciples, emphasizing their shared relationship with God.
"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.’”" — Jesus' instruction to Mary, "Do not cling to me," isn't about a physical prohibition but a shift in their relationship: the familiar, earthly connection is ending, and a new, spiritual communion thro…
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Last reviewed October 2026