In my time I have heard at least three theories for the grave clothes on the floor of the tomb and the ‘neatly folded napkin’ where HE had lain.Do you KNOW or have a theory? I heard a version I had never heard before this morning, and I could not see it in logic. I would like to hear from ministers on here________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
John chapter 20 tells how Peter and John rushed to the empty tomb early Sunday morning after Mary Magdalene had visited the tomb and seen that the guards were gone, the seal broken, the stone moved from the entrance and the body of Jesus gone. She said to the disciples they have taken him, perhaps thinking it was the Jews or the Romans or grave robbers who took the body leaving the grave clothes.Peter and John run to the tomb, John out runs Peter and looks in, but when Peter arrives he goes directly in, as only Peter would do. John follows, they both see the grave clothes close up, but something sparks John’s faith and he writes that he believed (in the resurrection of Jesus). So, what element of the grave clothes sparked John’s faith? The head napkin, which is reported as in place and folded. More correctly, it was a head cloth that was wrapped around the head of the dead in a turban like manner. It was a separate piece from the burial shroud which covered the body. Unlike the Lazarus who was raised from the dead (and whose home the disciples stayed in at the being of the week (at least before Palm Sunday), the resurrection of Jesus did not require the unwrapping (or loosing) of the living body from the grave clothes. What John is saying, as best I can tell from my studies, is that the head turban was intact and in place, but empty. The resurrected Savior did not need to have someone (or even an angel) unwrap his grave turban to be loose from death. In his resurrected and glorified state Jesus just passed through the cloth, much like latter he passed through the closed door to be with the disciples. Jesus was the first fruit of the resurrection which is something very different then being brought back to life, like Lazarus, where the body is still bound by nature and still faces death.This is my take on why John reports that the folded napkin caused him to believe Jesus was resurrected and not that someone (they) had taken the body.
My dear friend, I will tell you the answer if you promise to tell me what Jesus wrote in the dirt with his finger. Then we can compare notes on other secrets of the Bible, publish a new book, and even toss in a vial of miracle water for the first 50 customers (Jubilee discount ).
I guess this brings up the whole question of where he got his clothes when he started appearing to the disciples.
Jesus wrote. I will die for her, stone me!________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
You boys still don’t git it, do ya? Call Perry, he will then call his anonymous source in the Knesset, Netanyahu will give the anonymous source permission to tell Perry, Perry will then write a book on it, then all will be answered and laid to rest.Oops, almost fergot, the name of the book will be:The Seven-fold Napkin
Could be he’s already preached on it and gave that away for free. Guess you’ll never know, OTCP________________More of Him…less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name
Could be he’s already preached on it and gave that away for free. Guess you’ll never know, OTCP!
Okay, thanks for the comments. I think DaSheik is onto it. BUT the reason I ask is my dad had a theory, never claimed to be inspired but felt our LOrd had completed the toughest part of his mission. He personally was in NO Hurry now, and took time to fold the head cloth.This Easter I heard a fervent message. It was good. But something I had never heard. I have never known the practices of the jewish families and their table customs. But the minister declared that when a visitor ate with someone, other families or an eating establishment, that if he was not happy with the meal or service he folded his napkin neatly and placed it on the table as a sigh of his distaste with the meal and HE WOULD NOT BE BACK. Thus Jesus was saying, I WILL NOT RETURN TO THE GRAVE AGAIN.Since I do not know Jewish customs, I truly do not know. But to my logical thinking if a person was dissatisfied I can picture them wadding the table napkin and throwing it on the table. BUT that is using what I think today’s actions would be.Now my question to ANY scholar of Jewish History, is the napkin story just a story, or was it an actual practice? And How would I find out? Just curious________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Don’t let the KJV mislead you with the word napkin as to is modern usage. There was a separate cloth placed over the face and I think the original language of John 20will show that it was used for a wrapping of the head. When Peter and John entered the tomb the head cloth was still wrapped, not undone. I don’t think there is a relationship between OT Jewish table traditions (where is that napkin story in the Bible?) and burial traditions in the time of Jesus. While the NT does not give the explanation as to its meaning, we know that John saw and believed. John says, the head cloth was still in place, still wrapped and when he saw it in that condition he believed. That we do know for certain.
In the times of the Kings and jewish tradition… It’s said if the King was done with his food as he would just throw the towel down on the plate. By the King throwing it down, that meant that his staff could remove his plate if he got up from the table. By all accounts the theory was or is told that Jesus was saying I’m not done yet, I’m coming back. So there’s another theory to throw out there… I’ve studied this passage and this is what I’ve felt it meant because of Jesus KNOWING that the Jewish people would understand that thought. That’s the reason why the napkin was folded!Hope this helps.
Understanding
One of the reasons that so many do not know why certain things are mentioned is that most of us read the word from a Western perpective.We, for the most part, have detached ourselves to that type of thinking. An understanding of the Jewish world of the day would enlighten us to powerful insights written in the word.
What are you saying it meant? We have 3 or 4 theories on this thread, 2 of which purport to use the understanding of Jewish customs. The problem is those 2 theories are mutually exclusive.
In the Jewish culture when a person was finished they folded the napkin…Look it up, The folded napkin must mean something, everything in the word has some sort of meaning. They knew what it meant, did they not?If one says no they did not know then why did he do it? and why was it mentioned?As long as we are thinking Western church we will never know.
So we need a version that says – When they went to the tomb, they knew he was alive because of the folded napkin – cause everyone knows when you fold a napkin – it means…..So, if we were truly good teachers, we would always fold our napkins at Cracker Barrel, so the wait staff would know—ah, they are Christians—they fold their napkins when they are done.Have you taught your children to fold napkins________________
Messianic Jewish Resources to which I have access are virtually silent regarding any special significance to the linen wrapping the head of Jesus being separate from the other linen wrapping the body of Jesus. There is no reference to any special custom, no dinner/meal references, no kings.Here is a sampling: