Don’t Touch Me

Text:

John 20:11-18:

11   But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12   And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13   And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him.

14   And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16   Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

17   Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

18   Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

 

Theme:

Don’t Touch Me

 

Introduction:

• The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel written by the Apostle John. Some believed that it was to fill the gaps left by the first three gospels, but no concrete evidence makes this universally true.  However, it does in a unique and genuine way divulge the depth of the relationship between God and the Son AND the relationship between the believer and the Godhead.
• At this point in John we find some of the details of the occurrences after the resurrection of Jesus.
  • Mary comes to the tomb to find that the stone had been rolled away. She stands crying.
  • Two angels in white sitting where Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
  • Mary talks with the angels
  • Mary turns and talks with Jesus, although not knowing that it is Jesus
  • Jesus calls out her name and she recognizes him, saying “Rabboni” or “Master”
  • Before she can speak another word or do anything, Jesus immediately tells her “Touch me not”

    • Don’t Touch Me

 

Body:

• 1 –> What did Jesus tell her?
  • Jesus said in so many words…“Don’t touch me!”… Just think how those words must have impacted the women.
    • The people were used to being able to approach Jesus and if close enough, to touch Him will.
      • Woman with the issue of blood is a good example. She knew that if she could just TOUCH the hem of His garment that she would be made whole.
    • They had longed for Jesus in the mourning of His death and upon seeing Him alive they must have really wanted to hug, kiss or at least touch Him to affirm His being real.
  • Jesus in our passage spoke directly…even more directly that some of us can deal with 🙂
    • As Peter said in John 6:60, “…This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”
  • Jesus gets right to the point even we don’t:)
    • He sets the stage for their encounter…don’t we need to do the same in our encounters
    • On the flip side, the lepers of 1^st century Palestine would take the same stance when approached by people.
      • Leviticus 13:45, “And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.”
      • We have to be honest and bold enough to tell others, when we are contaminated…”UNCLEAN!”
    • Then, we need to be honest and bold enough to tell others, when we are HIS!!!!!!
    • TOUCH ME NOT!!!!!
• 2 –> How did Jesus tell her “Touch me not!”?
  • We as Christians tend to fail at HOW Jesus spoke to Mary
    • Some folks don’t know HOW to talk to people
    • Some folks feel that when they are right they can talk to folks any kind of way
    • Some folks are not clear in stating their point…too many words or not the correct word choice.
  • However, Jesus teaches us here HOW we are to talk to people
    • Gently
      • Bible says in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
    • Clearly
      • We are driven by Proverbs 4:7 which says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
      • Even with Moses, God acknowledges the need for people to understand His Word clearly.
        • Exodus 4:10, “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
        • Exodus 4:14, “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.”
      • Jesus in our passage spoke directly…even more directly that some of us can deal with 🙂
        • As Peter said in John 6:60, “…This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”
      • Jesus gets right to the point even we don’t:)
    • Authoritatively
      • Jesus spoke with Authority and, therefore, commanded respect
      • Jesus POSSESSED the authority to make the statement
        • Matthew 28:18 confirms, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
      • Jesus knew HOW to speak to people
• 3 –> When did Jesus tell her “Touch me not!”?
  • Jesus concluded His conversation with Mary by telling her, “but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
    • We always want God to prove Himself to us.
    • Unlike the women after the Lord has touched our lives, we tend to want to touch Him instead of being obedient and telling someone else about what God has done.
      • John 20:22 says, “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
    • Jesus said “Touch me not!”
      • After they touched him with the nails, but before He touched us with His Love.
      • After they touched him with the crown of thorns, but before He touched us with His Peace.
      • After they touched him with the sword in His side, but before He touched us with His Power.
      • After they touched him with the burial clothes, but before He touched us raise us from the death of sin.
• 4 –> Why did Jesus tell her “Touch me not!”?
  • There were drastic consequences to allowing an impure hand to touch Him that He knew and respected!
    • The contamination of her touch would have made…
      • the Virgin Birth a fruitless effort
      • the reading of Isaiah in the temple by the boy Jesus merely a tradition
      • the election and development of the disciples just a “hanging out”
      • the three year ministry of Jesus just a sabbatical
      • the suffering of Jesus unto the cross just an unfortunate incident
      • the resurrection of Jesus just something that happened …before
      • going to Heaven simply an impossible dream

Conclusion:

• We need to focus on our ability to present ourselves in the way that God wants us to be presented…
  • Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
    • Living à ALIVE
      • Matthew 8:22 says, “But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”
    • Holy à Set apart, sanctified
      • John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
    • Reasonable service à We are supposed to be blameless before Him and holy. It cowers to what He has done for us!!
      • Matthew 22:37 says, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
    • God wants and requires all!!!!!!
    • Don’t touch me!! — You will contaminate me!
      • With your hatred
      • With your envy
      • With your strife
      • With your anger
      • With your stress
      • With you malice
      • With your lying
      • With your whoremongering
      • With your drinking
      • With you smoking
      • With your drugging
      • With your sinning
    • Don’t touch me!!!

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