Scripture · Acts 1:9
John 20:16-17
Noli me tangere
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene kneels with both hands raised as Christ bends toward her, one palm open, in a misty meadow below buildings on a hill.
About the artwork
Christ’s exposed upper body and draped cloth give him a different presence from Mary in her brown shawl and white sleeve. The space between their hands concentrates the encounter. A slender tree and distant hillside buildings keep the meeting within a recognizable landscape rather than an abstract heavenly setting.
Fritz von Ostini identified the backdrop with Dachau and noted the contrast between the monumental Christ and the modern-looking Magdalene. Bavaria acquired the painting from Uhde at the Munich Secession exhibition in 1894. Its Latin title, Noli me tangere, refers to Jesus’ words after Mary recognizes him.
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What does John 20:16-17 mean?
In John 20:16–17, Jesus calls Mary by name, and she recognizes her teacher. He then tells her not to cling to him and sends her to his brothers with news of his coming ascent to the Father. Recognition leads into a task: she is to carry the message to others.
The raised hands and space between the figures suit that moment of encounter and changed relationship. The verse should not be reduced to a general prohibition on touching Jesus; it belongs to this particular exchange and commission. Mary’s response continues beyond the pictured moment when she announces that she has seen the Lord.
John 20:16–18 explains both Mary’s recognition and the message she is sent to deliver.
Sources
Fritz von Uhde’s Bible Paintings: Jesus at the Peasants’ Table, and Why It Was Called Blasphemous. Artwork reading adapted from this guide.
John 20 — Berean Standard Bible. Context for John 20:16-17.
Fritz von Ostini — Uhde (1902). Discusses the contrast between the two figures and the Dachau landscape.
Hans Rosenhagen — Uhde (1908). Historical catalogue and discussion of the work; historical ownership is not a claim about its present location.
Also from John:Madonna and ChildLux in Tenebris
Continue looking:Touch Me NotChrist and St Mary Magdalen at the TombEaster morning (Noli me tangere)