by: Joel Villaraza

Noli Me Tangere is a title of a painting written in Latin which means "Touch Me Not". It is a great work by Russian painter Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov who was born on July 16, 1806 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It portrays the sincere longing of Mary Magdalene to touch Jesus when she saw Him after Christ's miraculous resurrection.

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17 NIV).

One of the most amazing events recorded in the Bible is the Savior's resurrection. It is being celebrated every Easter by many Christians as the most wonderful and greatest story of redemption. It is about Hope for those who believe in the Resurrection of Christ and Faith for those who truly trust in our Savior.  The passage in the Bible is faithfully held by many and yet it is also one of the subjects of theological mystery. Why did Jesus forbid Mary to hold Him when He was first seen by His faithful follower after He had risen?  Was Jesus reaction literal or figurative when He said to Mary not to touch Him?

While He did not allow Mary Magdalene to hold Him, days later, Jesus appeared to the disciples and surprisingly, He asked Thomas to touch His wounds.  Christ even directed his doubting follower to place his finger on the Savior's hand and side.  The dramatic story about this event was recorded in the latter verses of John chapter 20 when Thomas came face to face with the risen Lord.

"A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:24-29 NIV).

('The Incredulity of Saint Thomas' is a painting skillfully done by Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. The painting shows Jesus guiding Thomas' hand to show His wounds were real)

Why did Jesus tell Mary NOT to touch Him and yet He instructed Thomas days later to hold His wounds? Did Christ went up to His Father immediately after resurection? The Bible on the other hand did NOT mention any account wherein Jesus had ascended immediately after He rose from the dead. Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:50-52 are the two books in the Bible that describe Christ's act of ascension. The two Gospels recorded the time when Jesus went up to heaven days after when He met with His disciples.  Then later, the Book of Acts made a beautiful recount of the event. 

"After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-10 NIV).

This article is not written in an effort to answer the difficult questions related to Christ's mind boggling encounter with Mary and Thomas. The story is a mystery since there is no easy answer to address the question. Nevertheless, the focus of this writing is about the believer's everlasting HOPE in Christ as we learned from the lessons of the Gospel. The Bible says that since Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and sat at the right hand of the Father in heaven, as He had promised, we too shall have this hope of resurrection. He stated that when we truly accept Him as Lord and Savior, we too will live eternally with Him after we die. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25 ESV). We have hope in Jesus Christ because death will NOT hold us down the grave. This is His wonderful offer of grace and promise of salvation.

"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (I Corinthians 15:50-54 NIV).