IF: Return

Saturday, March 31, 2012


Wow: )  What a perfect Illustration Friday topic for Easter..."Return"

John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.   In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Do you know that before I gave my life to Jesus, I did not even know that Easter was really to celebrate the resurrection of Christ...I just thought it was Easter bunnies and eggs.  But really it is about...


The Empty Tomb

John 20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.


In these verses I want to focus on the folded cloth...Why was it folded and Why is this scripture so very meaningful?

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand little bit about the Hebrew culture of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant.  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 set and the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating.  The servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.  If the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and beard, and would wad up his 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."  However, if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would dare not touch the table because………
The folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!’

He is Coming Back! He will Return!

P.S.  Please read my post "Prepare" if you want to know how to be prepared for His soon RETURN: )

9 comments:

  1. Wow thanks for the history behind. I have never heard that before. Thanks!

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  2. Beautiful! Love the scripture!! Easter is such a special time, I like all the fun bunnies and eggs but how I'd hate to miss the rest of the story!

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  3. Beautiful! I didn't know that about the napkin...but, boy, am I sure looking forward to Him coming back! :-)

    There's a line in a song I've heard for several years now, that I really love...
    "It's Friday, but Sunday's comin'!"

    AMEN, COME LORD JESUS!

    Happy Easter!

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  4. I love how you included insight into scripture...never knew that about the napkin. There is so much like that in God's word...it continues to amaze me.. Happy Easter!

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  5. Very interesting,I haven't heard about the Master and servant tradition before.
    Happy Easter :)

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  6. Wow! This is so neat! Thanks for sharing :)

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  7. Beautiful picture of our Savior.
    Shauna

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