Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 292

October 16;        John 20:17;         88/260;        ‘The Sacred Offering’

John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" 

This verse is so informative concerning the Lord doing everything decently and in order.  After Jesus rose from the dead, Mary Magdalene was the first one to see Him.  In the Gospel accounts of others seeing Jesus, they touched Him and worshipped Him, holding Him by His feet.  Here, Jesus tells Mary she cannot touch Him.  Why?  The Lord Jesus had to return to heaven and present His blood in the heavenly Holy of Holies in order to complete His redemptive work for us.  In the Old Testament innocent animal blood was shed to cover the sins of the Jews.  The animal blood could only cover the sins of the people, it could not cleanse them of their sins.  The blood of innocent animals was ‘painting a picture’ for us.  Innocent blood had to be shed to deal with the sins of people.  Mary saw Jesus as soon as His spirit was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit and reunited with His body.  He had not yet ascended into heaven to fulfill His mission.  As soon as Jesus spoke to Mary, He ascended to heaven and in what I believe was the most sacred event in history, the Lord Jesus went into the Temple in heaven and there presented His blood in the heavenly Holy of Holies.  When Jesus did this, our sins were not covered as with the blood of animal sacrifices, our sins were cleansed forever.  The Lord Jesus came to fulfill the Law.  In Deuteronomy 28 the Word teaches the blessings that are ours by keeping the Law.  No one did, except Jesus.  Those blessing were legally His.  He gave them to us and took the punishment for our sins, paying for our sins with His holy blood.  No one could touch Him once He rose from the dead until He did all He had to.  Praise the Lord He did.