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
Charlie McAllister
/ March 25, 2016what a great post
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Ruth HIRONS
/ March 24, 2016Hallelujah!!!!! Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.
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Dawn Marie Sidock
/ March 24, 2016I read and know it is true, I am anxiously awaiting Jesus to return. Come quickly Lord Jesus. I love you and want to be with you.
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Alvin Tallant
/ March 23, 2016Great Lesson 🙂
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Richard Barnett
/ March 23, 2016Too Cool!
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Becky Anderson
/ March 23, 2016May God receive great glory by postings like this one!
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Susan Reilly
/ March 23, 2016He is coming back for the Last Supper for the remnant that is waiting for HIS return to be caught up with the Bride of CHRIST in the rapture.
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Suzanne Shotwell
/ March 23, 2016So, BLESSED by this! I always thought Jesus folded it because He is orderly and not chaos…but, to learn the Jewish-ness…the cultural part…amazing!!!! Thank you so much. Happy Easter! HE has risen and is ALIVE! To which I add, Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen. Blessings and Shalom. Suzanne
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Karen Thomson
/ March 23, 2016Yes, a wonderful blessing!
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Brenda Delashmit
/ March 23, 2016Absolutely! it’s very important. Thank you for sharing this Sham. I love this time of the year. I feel so close to our lord Jesus. What he did for all of us. I pray his coming soon. Our world is in the turmoil that he speaks of before his coming back. Love you so much. Your moma always ❤️
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Beverly Bradford
/ March 22, 2016I loved this , inspiring Bibel verse !
Beverly Bradford
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Geoff
/ March 22, 2016Beautiful, something to share with others.
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Charlotte Morriss
/ March 22, 2016First you can only speculate WHY Jesus fold the “napkin” because the Bible doesn’t tell us the reason. But I think the Jewish thought that make FAR more sense is that the “napkin” was his prayer “shawl” it’s common practice that they will cut one of the tassels of one of the corners of the prayer shawl. then they will use it as a face covering in the burial. each person has their own style of folding their prayer shawl when they don’t use it but a teachers students would recognize their masters style. So I don’t know that I would believe that the face covering was napkin to say that he’s coming back (although that could be, but it’s speculation) but maybe he was just folding his now no good (because of the cut-off tassel) prayer shawl and leaving it for his disciples to find the great miracle. But again the Bible doesn’t say this so this is just another speculation based off of Jewish tradition of the day.
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Robert Newcombe
/ March 22, 2016Without in the slightest disagreeing with this, there’s also a much simpler explanation – to show it wasn’t simply a case of a disappearing body. A bit like the way we’re often meant to type out some scrawled letters to prove there’s a human and not a machine at the other end of the line.
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Jerilee
/ March 22, 2016I do believe so much in Christianity those words are so powerful
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Mriel
/ March 22, 2016This I learned many years ago. Since then , when I am at the table and ready to leave, I think of what Jesus did and look forward with great peace and joy to my Saviour returning . Thank you for again reminding me.
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Christians Are Us
/ March 22, 2016I do the same thing 😉
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Crystal Haberman Harrison
/ March 22, 2016Loved it.
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Patty Jo Brudigam Drake
/ March 22, 2016I read something different. If he crumpled the napkin it meant that he liked the food, the drink, the company and would like to come back. If he folded the napkin it meant that he did not like it here and would never be back to this place again!
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Mona Naquin
/ March 22, 2016I love this, It made my Day! 🙏
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Havgun Willtravel
/ March 22, 2016Oh yeah, He is coming back and I believe that it will be very soon. Amen
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Geraleen Foster
/ March 22, 2016I am glad He folded the napkin, praise be to GOD, HE IS COMING BACK IN JESUS NAME.
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phylbart
/ March 22, 2016Thank you! I had heard this explanation several years ago but not mentioned again for a long time–at least not in the churches I have attended. This is such a message of hope for us. The Master will be coming back!
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maria
/ March 22, 2016Hallelujah!!!
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Tony Foster
/ March 22, 2016That is so inspiring to know that he is coming again one day to get his people
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Barbara Mccarthy
/ March 22, 2016Amazing, he is coming back.
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Edward Budny
/ March 22, 2016That is a Beautiful story ,that may be based on biblical principals. However The verse in John 20 says,the napkin was wrapped around Yahshua’s(Jesus) head(the whole head including the face)and was the hebrew/Israelite way for burial wrappings,the same way lazarus was buried and ressurected and came forth out of the tomb,by the power of christ Jesus,and christ commanded him to be loosed/unwrapped of his grave clothes(head napkin) and linen clothes(that wrapped his body).The reason that the head napkin was seperate from the linen (body)wrappings,is because Jesus Christ is the head of the body(his people),and was only temporarily, separated from them,in death but praise Yahweh(Jesus) he being God resurrected from hell(The grave ,not a place of eternal suffering) and is reunited with his body(his people)ALL WHO TRULY ARE HIS PEOPLE PRAISE YAHWEY HIS HOLY NAME.
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