This Easter I learned something really cool about the resurrection. John 20 starts out after the resurrection when they were first coming back to the empty tomb. Verses 6 and 7 reveal something quite interesting that you wouldn't really think to look in to. It says, "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, seperate from the linen." Now why would someone think to put that tiny detail in that it was folded up over by itself ? Was it important? Absolutely! But to understand why, you have to know a little about the Hebrew tradition between a servant and a Master. 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 was 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!'
That's a tiny detail that I believe Jesus wanted us to see and know! He folded his cloth because he was not finished! We're not talking about food here of course, no, we're talking about coming back to this world. He is coming back for us because he loves us. A love so strong that not even death can break the bond of the love He has for us. So encouraging!
