You Doves may've already seen this one? --
it's a goodie!
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His
resurrection?
The Gospel of John (20: 7) tells us that the napkin, which was
placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave
clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was
neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.
Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is
that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded
napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that
day. The folded napkin had to do w/ the Master and Servant, and every
Jewish boy knew this tradition. 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 had finished 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 servant
knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded
napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"