Jesus tells Mary, 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father,' and immediately sends her to his brethren with a message about his ascent.
Jesus in Context
Touch Me Not: 'Do Not Keep Holding On to Me'
The traditional 'Touch me not' can misleadingly suggest that physical contact with the risen Jesus was forbidden; the Greek is often better understood as 'do not keep holding on to me' as Jesus redirects Mary toward announcing his coming ascension.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
The Greek construction me mou haptou can naturally mean 'stop holding on to me' or 'do not keep clinging to me,' rather than prohibiting every momentary touch. This fits other resurrection traditions in which Jesus can be physically touched and John's own later invitation to Thomas to examine his wounds. Jesus also distinguishes resurrection from ascension: he has risen, but he has 'not yet ascended.' His wording 'my Father and your Father, and my God and your God' creates relationship while maintaining a deliberate distinction between his sonship and that of the disciples.
Why It Matters
The linguistic context removes a needless puzzle about why the risen Jesus supposedly could not be touched.
Mary cannot preserve the former mode of Jesus' presence by clinging to him. She is instead commissioned to carry news of the risen Lord and his coming ascent to the disciples.