“ ‘Don’t cling to me,’ Jesus said, ‘for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ ”
John 20:17 (NLT)
Mary stands outside the tomb weeping. Hope feels lost. Even angels can’t stop her tears. She knows Jesus is gone, but she doesn’t yet understand why that’s good news. Grief has narrowed her vision, and resurrection is standing right in front of her unseen.
Jesus asks her the same question the angels did: Why are you crying? Then He calls her by name. That’s the moment everything changes. The Shepherd speaks, and the sheep knows His voice. Recognition doesn’t come through explanation—it comes through relationship.
Mary calls Him Rabbi. It’s true, but it’s not complete. Jesus gently corrects her affection: Don’t cling to me. He isn’t rejecting her—He’s inviting her forward. The relationship is changing. Because of the resurrection, His Father is now her Father. His God is now her God.
Mary’s tears weren’t wasted. Heaven heard them. Jesus met her in them. But she couldn’t stay there. Resurrection doesn’t call us to cling to what was—it sends us to live in what is now true.
So don’t cling. Believe. Go tell. Walk in the authority resurrection gives. Like Mary, say it plainly: I have seen the Lord.