The Folded Napkin

Today is Good Friday, I realize that. But I decided not to talk about Jesus’ walk down the Via Dolorosa, His crucifixion between two criminals, the torturous agony He endured for three hours, or His death and burial in a borrowed tomb.

“Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth” (John 19:40).

Nor am I going to talk about the stir caused by a miraculous event three days later amid a guarded tomb sealed with a heavy stone.

“Early on 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. He [Peter] stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in” (John 20:1, 5).

So many questions come to my mind: Why did Mary go to the tomb in darkness? Would that not be dangerous for a woman? How did she and the other women think they would remove the stone to get to Jesus’ body? The only likely individuals that would be there were Roman guards, right? And how did 75 pounds of perfumed ointment from Nicodemus get to the tomb? Wouldn’t the women be considered defiled after touching a dead body? Would the sinless body of Jesus even cause defilement?

Moving on . . .   

What I want to address is the linens. Some might call them the Shroud of Turin. I am paraphrasing a devotion I found in my files, which I thought was interesting. I have also added some of my own thoughts.

So here is what I wish to discuss: Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth, specifically the face cloth, after His resurrection? John 20:6-7 says, “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 apart from the other wrappings.”

It sounds as though this was a deliberate, unrushed gesture. Doesn’t it to you? Is that important? Yes. Is it significant? Absolutely! To understand the significance, you must first understand a little about the Jewish tradition of that day.

A folded napkin is related to the response between the master and his servant. By the way, the face cloth is also called a napkin, or sudarium. Every Jewish boy knew the tradition. When the servant set the dinner table, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly.

Following service for the meal, the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant did not dare touch the table until the master appeared to complete the meal. Once the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers and mouth, and clean his beard. He would then wad up the napkin and toss it onto the table. When the servant saw the wadded napkin, he knew to clear the table. The wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished.”

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, that indicated something completely different. The servant would not dare touch the table because that meant, “I’m coming back!”

Does that not send chills down your spine? Jesus, our Master, is coming back. Revelation 19 says He will return on a white horse from the heavens. His eyes will be like blazing fire, and He will be wearing many crowns and dressed in a robe dipped in blood.

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” (Mark 13:32-33)

The Second Coming of Christ to earth is a central tenet of the Christian faith in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It is anticipated to be a time of divine judgment and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. Jesus Himself spoke about His return, as did the Apostle Paul.

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest end of the earth and heaven” (Matthew 24:30-31).

Jesus is coming again. Are you prepared?