This is one I have only seen circulating a couple of times, so; if this touches you, you may want to forward it.
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?
I never noticed this before … In the Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes the entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and placed separate than the other grave clothes.
Early ‘on the first day of the week’, Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran back and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved (John).
She said, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him!’ John 20:2
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple (John) outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen clothes lying there, but he didn’t go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side by itself.
Was that important?
Absolutely!
Is it really significant?
YES!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day:
The folded napkin had to do with the ‘Master and Servant’, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.
For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, ‘I’m done’.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because………..
The folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!‘
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
He is Coming Back!
©2014 Mark Davis
Leave Your Comment Here
Timothy Winkelkotter
/ April 5, 2015I always thought the angels who attended his resurrection folded his burial linen. I still do. Nice to hear about the traditional significance
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Dolores
/ April 5, 2015Wow.. thank you for this article …
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Bennie
/ April 5, 2015Hello: I truly enjoyed reading this post and I am blessed. Dr. G.
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Melissa
/ April 5, 2015I pray we will all be ready when He comes!
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Mary Swain
/ April 5, 2015This is beautiful thank you
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Tom Matuszak
/ April 5, 2015I knew this from before, learned on a trip to Isreal. He is Risen! He is Coming back SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Christians Are Us
/ April 5, 2015That’s awesome. I’m glad that it corroborates. God bless! –Mark
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birdieklh
/ April 5, 2015Absolutely wonderful. I had no idea, thank you for sharing this!
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Christians Are Us
/ April 5, 2015You’re welcome! –Mark
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mathina jones
/ April 5, 2015That was awesome I understood that the folding of the napkin. DEEP
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Genny
/ April 4, 2015It was indeed a blessing and new to me, thanks a lot.
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vanessa gunter
/ April 4, 2015Yes that. Was amazing we learn something new about our father every day Amen God is coming back he made sure to tell us in so many different ways
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Absolutely!!! God Bless! –Mark
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JFC
/ April 4, 2015I am reading this the night before Easter Sunday when I picked up my sister-in-law’s FB sharing. Really thankful for your insight to a seemingly nonessential statement about the folded napkin.
Ever thought of raising like-minded Lord’s people to fight the evil force that corrupts the Amercan Christian community Like Gideon, it takes just 300 loyal followers they overcame incomprehensible odds to defeat an huge enemy! You and your readers may consider such calling as your purpose in living here on earth. God bless. JFC
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Thank you for your kind words, J. As my profile states, as long as the Lord deems to keep me on this earth, I have purposed to serve Him in whatever way I possibly can. 2+ Years ago I started this blog with the same purpose in mind. I have had many others join my band by contributing material to be posted here. This blog site is by far NOT about me but rather about spreading the Word of God’s Gospel and training Christians on how to do the same thing and then build them up to live the Christian life day by day.
As you have stated above, if it only takes 300, we just need 299 more. Who will join me? Is. 6:8
–Mark
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Patricia Peden
/ April 4, 2015This is absolutely fantastic, I’m 71 years old, been in church all my life, and never heard this before, Thanks For Sharing, GOD Bless.
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015You are welcome, Patricia. God bless you as well. –Mark
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Dean Runbaugh
/ April 4, 2015My Lord is coming back and I await his return…Praise God for our risen Savior….
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Amen, Dean!
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Cynthia
/ April 4, 2015Hallelujah!!! He’s coming back!!!
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Praise the Lord!!!
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Deborah
/ April 4, 2015Also, I see it as an invitation for us, who become Jesus in the eyes of God, to feast at the table & on Him (communion)
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015This is an invitation indeed, for us to join Jesus in the air at the time of his re-appearance in the clouds and eventually we as Christians will join in the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (the “Lamb” IS Jesus Christ) where we will be Jesus’ bride. At the time of Jesus’ re-appearance, God sees us as pure because He is looking through the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all our sins, which allows us passage to go to Heaven (and that ONLY is the passage right that will get us into Heaven, not works of any kind, Eph. 2:8-9, or any amount of money that we have given to the church or any amount of “prayers” that we might offer or even if we have taken communion or not (1 Cor. 11:25-27)). If any of that is not clear, you might want to visit another page on my site, https://christiansareus.com/2012/10/01/youre-dead-now-what/. I pray you have seen God’s greatest gift of His saving grace.
–Mark
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Maurice
/ March 28, 2015I take pleasure in, result in I discovered just what I
used to be taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day lengthy hunt!
God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Happy to be of help. God bless you as well!
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Christians Are Us
/ April 10, 2017Glad to be of service to you and I’m glad that you got a blessing from it… Pass it on!
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don yurges
/ November 23, 2014thank you for this post. its important to me to know this!!!!!!!!
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Lynette Lashley
/ November 22, 2014Thank you for sharing, the significance of the folded napkin is new to me, may God continually bless and keep you, may He cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, hallelujah He is coming back.
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Christians Are Us
/ April 4, 2015Bless you, Lynette. –Mark
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Darrell
/ November 21, 2014Very cool stuff! Learned something awesome today.
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Vivian Batson
/ November 21, 2014Amen The Lord. Shall return as He has said and we await His return!
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Isacc4HisComing
/ November 21, 2014Praise God!
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joyuza
/ November 20, 2014Have always loved this about the folded napkin….can hardly wait til we dine with Him as He promised we would! He is waiting for the Father’s nod that it is time to return for His believers as we wait & watch the skies! Oh,too marvelous & fantastic to even imagine…PRAISE THE LORD of lords & KING of kings!!! 🙂
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Anthony
/ November 20, 2014Amen
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Richard
/ November 20, 2014Amen.
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LENA PACK
/ April 4, 2015MADE MY DAY. I DID NOT KNOW WHY THE THE NAPKIN WAS FOLDED!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH.
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