Excellent question. The tense of the action here (John 20:17) reveals the cutting off of an action that has already begun. In essence, Jesus was saying, “stop hanging on to my physical body now”, or do not think, that by holding me firmly, you can keep me always with you in this present state (Matt. 28:9). Mary, as all Christians, desired to be in an uninterruptible fellowship with Christ. Jesus was telling her that she must wait until He has ascended to the Father (only then would the Holy Spirit come). PLEASE note that Jesus did not object to being touched (remember His words to Thomas). What He was concerned with was Mary’s mistaken idea that the former form of fellowship was going to continue as it was before. What Christ was revealing was that His relationship with her and others would now be changed. The fellowship would continue, but it would be far richer. The fellowship now would be the communion of the ascended Lord in the Spirit with His Church.

Reformed and Always Reforming,