The Folded Napkin

"So Peter and the other disciple(John)started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. 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. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed." John 20:1-8

Disclaimer:In my research on this topic, there is some disagreement over the validity of the following. In part the disagreement lies in the biblical translations and whether the napkin itself was actually folded or rolled up. I share it with you because for some reason, John felt it important to share that the face cloth/napkin was definitely separate from the rest of the linens.

What was it about seeing the empty grave linens that made the disciples believe that Jesus had risen from the dead? Was it just the empty strips of fabric lying there that convinced them or is it possible it was the way in which the fabric remained that helped them to believe?

No one knows exactly what thoughts went through Peter and John's mind that morning but it is interesting that although the strips from Jesus body lay in a heap, John took the time to describe that the face cloth, or napkin, was not in a heap but that it had been carefully folded. To you or I, the folded cloth holds little significance, to a couple of men familiar with Jewish culture and looking for their "master", it meant much.

In those days, a Jewish servant would serve his master's dinner at a table carefully prepared with furnishing placed perfectly and a napkin folded at the place his master would sit. The Jewish servant would stand off to the side and wait while his master ate. When the master removed himself from the table, the servant knew, by the placement of the napkin what to do next. If the napkin lay crumpled on the table it meant that the master was finished eating and the servant could clear the table. However, if the master had carefully folded the napkin and placed it on the table, it meant that he was coming back. Jesus was telling his followers that He is coming back!