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.

Why the Risen Jesus has long hair! Oh yes, he does.

How can I possibly know the length of Christ's hair after the Resurrection? Because He told us so. Well, to be precise, it is a deduction from His words to the disciples at the Last Supper.

"I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29. ESV.

Jesus took this vow at the end of the seder (Passover meal) when he had shared the last cup of wine and instituted what Christians know variously as : The Lord's Supper/Table, Holy Communion and Mass. Each name reflects a different theological understanding of His command.

Those who know their Old Testament/Tenach will recognise His words as a Nazirite vow. The person making the vow would abstain from all forms of the fruit of the vine, not just wine. Jesus is being quite clear in His wording. They would not cut their hair until the vow was ended and they could not be contaminated by corpses. 

Although Jesus would shortly die, His body was not thrown onto a waste heap with other corpses of condemned men but placed into an empty and unused grave (John 19:41). 
 
Therefore, I conclude that the Risen Jesus has long hair!

There are three other individuals who are thought to have been life-long Nazirites in the Bible. In the Tenach (OT), we find Samuel and Samson. In the Gospels, we find John the Baptist. All three shed some light on the ministry of Jesus.

Samuel was a prophet, a priest and a judge. He was also an anointer of kings. Jesus was a prophet in His earthly ministry, a priest from the Cross onwards, will return as King and Judge and who, with the Father, sends The Holy Spirit to anoint the Church.

Samson was a judge, a warrior and when seemingly helpless, destroyed the Philistines' power and thus delivered Israel. Jesus will be the Judge, He is the Victor of Sin and Death and wars against Satan and by His death he delivers all who believe.

John was a prophet preaching repentance and the Kingdom, he was a baptiser and was innocent of any crime when he was executed. Jesus preached repntance and the Kingdom, He baptised in  the Spirit and was innocent of any crime when He was executed.

Jesus is utterly commited to ensuring that His disciples will reach His Father's Kingdom. To do that He was a  prophet, He is a priest making intercession for the saints, He has overcome sin and death, He will destroy Satan, He sends the Holy Spirit and, by His death, He has saved us.

Jesus is fulfilling His Nazirite vow on our behalf.

And He has long hair!