Jesus said to her, ” Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God. ‘”
JOHN 20:17
As the Son of God, Jesus affirms the identity of His disciples in God through Him, thereby fulfilling God’s covenant with Abraham for all who believe.
God tells Abraham that in him all the families of the earth will be blessed. God will establish His covenant with Abraham and his seed (Jesus) for an everlasting covenant, to be God to Abraham and his descendants because Abraham believed God (GEN12:2-3,15:4-6,17:2,7,22:17-18,GAL3:16).
At the appointed time, God comes into the world as a human being and the world does not know Him. Being of the tribe of Judah, He comes to His own (Abraham’s physical descendants) and they do not receive Him, but to those who receive Him and believe in His name, He gives the right to become His children (JN1:1,10-14,GAL3:7-9,4:4,LUK3:23-38).
Having finished the work the Father has given Him to do in the world, Jesus is arrested and taken away to be crucified. On the first day of the week after His death, one of His followers, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb where He was buried and finds His body gone (JN17:4-5,18:12,19:13-16,40-20:1). She runs to one of His disciples, Peter and the other disciple whom He loved, and tells them His body has been taken away, so the disciples run to the tomb and upon seeing the linen cloths lying there, the disciple whom Jesus loved believes. For as yet they did not know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead (JN20:2-9).
The disciples then go to their own homes, but Mary stands outside by the tomb weeping. She looks inside and sees two angels where Jesus’ body was and they ask her why she’s weeping. She tells them her Lord has been taken away and she doesn’t know where He is, then turns and sees Jesus standing there, but doesn’t know it’s Him until He speaks her name. Jesus tells her not to cling to Him for He hasn’t ascended to His Father, but to go and tell His brethren that He is ascending to His Father and their Father, and to His God and their God. So Mary goes and tells the disciples she has seen Jesus and the things He told her (JN20:10-14,16-18).
Jesus did many signs in the presence of His disciples, but those that are written are written so they may believe that He is the Christ (anointed Messiah), the Son of God and that in believing they may have life in His name (JN20:30-31).