Suzi (15 Nov
2010)
"to Donna Re: folded napkin"
Since we won't know for sure, until we get to meet Him face to face and ask, this is of course, all conjecture.
But,
if using Lazarus as an example, the only thing different is the fact
that, as you said, Lazarus needed help getting out of the 'burial
cloths', since he was still in his physical body. If we look at
different burial customs of the times, I think we can see that they did
cover the deceased with cloth around the face, head and body. When
Jesus was laid in the tomb though, he wasn't 'fully prepared' for
burial the way Lazarus was. He also was in a 'borrowed tomb', that of a
wealthy man, and using the Shroud of Turin as an indicator, was wrapped
in a piece of more expensive, finely made cloth.
Since I believe
that the Shroud is real, that the image of Jesus was created from the
blast of energy that was used to create the Universe and literally
'aged' those fibers in the twinkling of an eye...and I believe the
smaller piece of cloth (called a napkin in Scripture, simply because it
was a smaller piece of cloth), from Spain was also used to cover his
face/head at one time, but was NOT subjected to that energy burst
(since it does not have the markings the Shroud does)...I am led to
believe it was NOT on His face when He resurrected. Can I prove it? No.
Is there a reason why the burial cloth (shroud) was laying crumpled and
the smaller face cloth (napkin) was laying folded? Most likely. Could
it be to help prove that the Shroud and other cloth are real?
Maybe...some people need to 'see to believe' and every little bit helps
as time is running short.
Someday all these little questions
will be answered...for now, it's good to think about them, discuss and
add another thing to the long list of 'someday I'm gonna ask Jesus...".
:)
Blessings~
Suzi