Question:
In John 20:17, 27, the risen Lord tells Mary not to touch Him for he had not yet ascended to His Father, but He invites Thomas to touch Him in verse 27. What is the difference?

Answer:
In verse 17 where the Lord is talking to Mary, the Greek word translated “touch” means not to “hold” or keep. In verse 27 He doesn’t use that word: “Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

Mary must realize she could not keep Him here for He would “ascend” to His Father, and He did this forty days after He rose from the dead (Acts 1:3, 9-11).Thomas, however, needed to believe that Christ was risen from the dead, for he had said: “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” (John 20:25).