John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
The gospel of John dedicates a verse to the significance of the napkin which had been placed over the face of Jesus, was not thrown aside with the linen clothes, but rather it was folded together and in a place of its own.
Its recorded that early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene, came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found ‘Simon Peter and the other disciple that Jesus loved.’
John 20:2 (Its recorded that Mary said) ...They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we don't know where they have laid him.
(Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb, but the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the sepulchre.)
John 20:5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went not he in.
John 20: 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
In understanding the significance of the folded napkin, its important to know the Hebrew traditions of that period.
The folded napkin honors the tradition of the master and servant that was practiced by the Jewish people. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. After the table was arranged, the servant would wait just out of sight, until the master had finished eating.
The servant would not dare touch the table until he was certain that the master was completely finished. When the master was finished eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and his beard, then wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. This signified that the servant would now be able to clear the table for the wadded napkin meant, 'I am done and will not be returning.' If the master got up from the table, then folded his napkin and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table because the folded napkin signified that he would be 'coming back'.
The napkin laid upon the Saviors face was folded and laid neatly upon the stone next to the bundle of white cloth that covered his body. A message to all that 'He will be back!'
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