The Risen Jesus; Mary can't touch Him, but Thomas can! How fair is that?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus wouldn't let Mary hold on to Him? John 20:17. Jesus tells her she cannot touch Him because He has not yet ascended. Then later that same day He is constrained by Cleopas and his friend on the Emmaus road, He shows the disciples His wounds and invites them to touch Him. Eight days later Thomas is asked to put his hand in His side. Jesus does not ascend into Heaven until ten days before Pentecost (Shavuot).

Sexist or what?

Well, it's what.The key is in understanding what Jesus is actually saying to Mary. Often when we hit a puzzle in the NT the answer is in the Tenach(OT). In this case, it is in the Torah (Pentateuch - the five Books of Moses).

One of the biggest developments in understanding the events of Christ's life and of Prophecy is the growing understanding of the Feasts of the Lord. I think it is a game-changer and there is still much to be learned. I will post more on this subject, in due course, together with links. This will be part of a medium to long-term series of posts.

As part of Pesach/Passover there are actually three specified Feasts or Divine Appointments. There are seven in total, but it is the Spring feasts that are relevant here and, in particular, the third of the four Spring Feasts.The fourth being Pentecost.

On the 14th. of Nisan will be the Passover, on the 15th. the seven-day feast of unleavened bread starts. This is a sabbath even if it is not a Saturday. On the 16th. is the first feast of First Fruits, to wit; the barley harvest. On that day, a sheaf of flour is offered as a wave offering, finely ground flour mixed with oil as a burnt-offering and a male lamb, one year old, without blemish as a burnt-offering. This barley was reaped, by the priests, from the same side of the Kidron valley as the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane. After sunset on the sabbath and during the night the flour was prepared. This flour was superfine so that the priest could put his hands into it and not a grain would adhere to his hands. This flour, mixed with oil and sprinkled with frankincense was offered to God.

Briefly, Passover is the Cross, the unleavened bread is His incorruptible Body, and the Barley Harvest is the Resurrection. Just as the type of the flour was to be presented in the Earthly Temple so the Anti-Type (Jesus) must present Himself in the Heavenly Temple, pure and on time! Until this had happened, any human being was leavened with sin. No-one could be allowed to touch Him, not just Mary. He hadn't got time to stay and chat with Mary.

Once He had presented Himself and was deemed acceptable then it was a different story.

This also answers the question I posed earlier this week, namely 'How many Ascensions were there?' We have, at least, two and both on the Feast of First Fruits. It is quite possible that there were more. The disciples had to sleep, even if the Risen Lord did not. However, these two are the prophetically significant ones.