Have you ever wondered why Mary was not allowed to touch Jesus in the garden, yet that same evening He challenges Thomas to touch His side to prove it is actually Him?

After the resurrection we see a change in Jesus’ ministry from our Sacrificial Lamb to our Great High Priest. The high priest of Israel could not be defiled or touched before entering the Holiest of Holies to apply the atoning blood.

This is why Jesus told Mary not to touch Him when she met the risen Lord in the garden because he said he hadn’t yet ascended to his Father. John 20:17 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.

Jesus, now as Our High Priest, was about to take His own blood into the Holiest of Holies in heaven.  Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].

In Israel a holy hush would fall over the crowd assembled in the Outer Court, which is a type of the world, as their high priest entered the Holy of Holies, which is a type of heaven, to apply the blood. Awaiting in anticipation of his return, there would be an explosion of rejoicing, as they see their high priest return to the Outer Court because his reappearance meant that God had accepted the blood of the sacrifice, and their sins were covered for another year. In fact tradition informs us that the high priest would have a rope tied around his waist in case he would be struck dead if the sacrifice was not accepted and he would have to be pulled out from the Holy of Holies. See Hebrews 8:1-6

We can also ecstatically rejoice because Our High Priest returned after applying His blood. In fact that same evening of the resurrection He reappears to His disciples, and as I’ve said, even challenges Thomas to touch Him, because He had already been to the heavenly Holy Place and now had returned to this earthly Outer Court to be seen of many for 40 days. This proves to us that His precious blood was accepted for remission of our sins, which are taken away forever.

   The passover lambs of the Old Testament could only cover sins from one year to the next, but Our Passover Lamb wiped out our sins forever.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

CHALLENGE: Avail yourself of this great privilege we now have of reaching out and touching Him everyday.

Read “Developing a Secret History with God” to inspire and encourage you to reach out and touch Him everyday. Available on Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ Walmart/Lulu/ itunes/ Kindle/ Nook/http wwwclfrance.com/ W.H. Smith UK/or a bookstore near you in English or French.