The Burial Cloth - Did you ever wonder and think: Just 'why' did Jesus fold up this cloth and lay it, separated from the other linen after His resurrection?
"Then Simon Peter . . . arrived and went into the garden tomb, in the Garden of Gethsemane. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen." (Gospel of John 20:6,7 NIV)
In order to understand the significance of the folded cloth, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition. The folded napkin had to do with a clear message between a Master and his Servant.
When the servant set the dinner table for his master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. After the table was perfectly furnished, then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
When the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth and clean his beard. The master would then wad up that napkin into a ball and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. The wadded napkin give the clear message, saying, "I'm done."
However, 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. The folded cloth gave a clear message, saying, "I'm not finished yet. I'm coming back!"
The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!' I'm so glad that Jesus is not finished, but indeed coming back!
I was reading my lesson for Sunday School and I remembered something that I had read somewhere about the "folded napkin". So I searched around my emails and found where someone had sent this to me awhile back. So I just wanted to share this with everyone....isn't it wonderful that Jesus is "not finished but indeed coming back"!
I pray that everyone will have a wonderful Easter!
Some information from Ezine.
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