Neville Goddard on John 20:14-18 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read John 20 in context

Scripture Focus

14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

17Jesus 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.

18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

John 20:14-18

Biblical Context

Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus at first; when he speaks her name, she recognizes him as Rabboni. He then instructs her to tell the disciples that he is ascending to the Father, inviting them—and us—to live from an inner presence rather than external appearances.

Neville's Inner Vision

In this passage, the garden is a state of consciousness, not a place. Mary’s initial failure to recognize Jesus mirrors the mind’s habit of projecting reality as if sent from outside. When the divine voice calls her by name, the I AM within awakens; this is the moment of true recognition—the Self acknowledging Itself as the Master. The utterance ‘Mary’ is the awakening of identity, and her response ‘Rabboni’ marks mastery over appearances. The command, ‘Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father,’ signals a shift from mere physical proximity to the ascent of consciousness—where unity with the Father is already present within. The instruction to announce to the brethren that the Father and God are hers as well grounds the truth that Spirit is the interior wind of life, not a distant force. Mary’s report to the disciples becomes your inner testimony: you have encountered the Lord within, and this inner encounter now freely rearranges perception, feeling, and action into a new life.

Practice This Now

Spend a few minutes today in quiet, imagining you are Mary in the garden. Hear your name spoken by the inner Rabboni, and permit the recognition to flood your being; then revise any sense of separation and feel the present, intimate presence of Father and God within you.