DON'T TOUCH ME ...........YET!
I can remember a time many decades ago in the back seat of the car, my brother and I tormenting each other. "He's touching me!" And the response, "I'm not touching youuuuuuuu!" It is with this in mind that I bring these thoughts.
It was strange to read Jesus saying to not touch Him. He'd spent His whole life expecting people to touch Him. Desiring that He touch them. Yet in Jn. 20 :17 we have Jesus instructing Mary Magdalene to not touch Him "...for I have not yet ascended to my father....I ascend to my father..." A few hours later, He is fellowshipping with His disciples and showing all His scars and wounds. Apparently, within this few hour span, He had ascended to the Fatherand returned with a glorified body. But why? Why the need for no touching? Before His crucifixion, Jesus had a human body touched by many sin, sinners, and disease. He Himself had no sin or disease(2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15; others)but His body was touched by those(us) who had sin and disease. Because of this, His human body was defiled. Again, Jesus Himself was not and never has been defiled, but His fleshly human body was. No sin or defilement can enter heaven. This is why those who have received Him as Lord and Savior will also receive glorified bodies when they are resurrected to go to heaven. (Phil. 3:21; others)On the third day, when He arose, He still had His human fleshly body. Remember that His grave was empty. Only the cloths used to preserve the dead from corrupting too quickly were found. He was still in human form. Had He been touched before His glorified body, He would have physically been touched by unclean hands and would have had to take His human flesh to the cross again. But we are told He was crucified once and for all sin and defilement( Rom.6:10; Heb. 9:12,26,28; 10:10; others). His saving work was done. Once He had His glorified body, He could play show and tell. He could be and was touched by whomever and have His flesh not defiled because He no longer had human flesh. He had glorified flesh. There is one kind of flesh for animals, another of birds, another of fish, another of reptiles, another of humans( 1 Cor. 15:39-41), and there is a glorified flesh which is different from them all( 1 Cor. 15:42-44,49-54).
Click for E-SWORD.NET
Click for BIBLESUPPORT.COM
It was strange to read Jesus saying to not touch Him. He'd spent His whole life expecting people to touch Him. Desiring that He touch them. Yet in Jn. 20 :17 we have Jesus instructing Mary Magdalene to not touch Him "...for I have not yet ascended to my father....I ascend to my father..." A few hours later, He is fellowshipping with His disciples and showing all His scars and wounds. Apparently, within this few hour span, He had ascended to the Fatherand returned with a glorified body. But why? Why the need for no touching? Before His crucifixion, Jesus had a human body touched by many sin, sinners, and disease. He Himself had no sin or disease(2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15; others)but His body was touched by those(us) who had sin and disease. Because of this, His human body was defiled. Again, Jesus Himself was not and never has been defiled, but His fleshly human body was. No sin or defilement can enter heaven. This is why those who have received Him as Lord and Savior will also receive glorified bodies when they are resurrected to go to heaven. (Phil. 3:21; others)On the third day, when He arose, He still had His human fleshly body. Remember that His grave was empty. Only the cloths used to preserve the dead from corrupting too quickly were found. He was still in human form. Had He been touched before His glorified body, He would have physically been touched by unclean hands and would have had to take His human flesh to the cross again. But we are told He was crucified once and for all sin and defilement( Rom.6:10; Heb. 9:12,26,28; 10:10; others). His saving work was done. Once He had His glorified body, He could play show and tell. He could be and was touched by whomever and have His flesh not defiled because He no longer had human flesh. He had glorified flesh. There is one kind of flesh for animals, another of birds, another of fish, another of reptiles, another of humans( 1 Cor. 15:39-41), and there is a glorified flesh which is different from them all( 1 Cor. 15:42-44,49-54).
Click for E-SWORD.NET
Click for BIBLESUPPORT.COM