Why Couldn’t Mary Touch Jesus?

The text delves into a perplexing narrative from John's gospel, where post-resurrection, Jesus initially forbids Mary from touching Him but later invites Thomas to do so. This distinction in Jesus' response is explored through the lens of Jewish High Priest purity requirements on the Day of Atonement, where contact with anything ceremonially unclean was prohibited to maintain ritual purity essential for entering God's presence. Jesus, as the ultimate High Priest, was preparing to minister in the heavenly tabernacle (Heb. 9:11), and His caution to Mary was to ensure He remained undefiled, preserving His readiness to serve in a consecrated state. Various factors could have rendered Mary ceremonially unclean, risking Jesus' defilement.

However, by the time Jesus encounters Thomas, His priestly duties had been completed, making concerns about defilement irrelevant. This narrative underscores the importance of Jesus' mission and the lengths to which He went to fulfill His role as a priest in the heavenly tabernacle, prior to assuming His roles as prophet and king.