“Do not cling to Me” John 20:17

Mary reached for Jesus in the garden,
overwhelmed with relief, love, and wonder.

He was alive.
The One she thought she had lost was standing right in front of her.

Of course she wanted to hold onto Him.
To never let Him go again.

But Jesus gently said,
“Do not cling to Me”

He wasn’t pushing her away.
He was inviting her forward.

What she had known before had changed.
She could no longer relate to Him in the old way.

He was about to ascend.
The relationship was shifting from presence beside her
to presence within her.

Sometimes we try to hold onto moments with God,
wanting to keep them just as they were.

But God is always moving us deeper.

Not away from Him
but into something greater.

Mary had to release what she knew,
so she could step into what was coming.

And what was coming was far more powerful
than simply holding onto Him in the garden.

He would no longer just walk beside them
He would dwell within them.

Don’t cling to what God did
when He is inviting you into what He is doing now.

Sometimes the invitation of God is not to hold on
but to trust Him enough to let go.