The resurrection of Jesus Christ is without question the greatest event in the history of mankind thus far. A detail, often overlooked in John’s Gospel account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, sets there like a sparkling gem if you understand the burial customs in the time of Jesus.

Over the centuries, and even today, different cultures have practiced various burial customs. There were a number of Jewish burial customs in the first century. One of those was to wrap or wind the body “in fine linen, putting spices in the folds.” The napkin was “a handkerchief which was employed to tie up the chin of a corpse.”
[James M Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible (reprinted Logos International from original printing of Nelson and Phillips, New York 1972), 437]

John 20:6 and 7
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

When Peter went into the sepulcre as recorded in chapter 20 of the Gospel of John, he saw two things. He saw the linen clothes, and he saw the napkin, folded, but not with the linen clothes. An earlier record in the Gospel of John helps us understand that what Peter saw was absolutely astounding!

Someone very close to Jesus named Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, had died. Jesus arrived after Lazarus had been buried for four days. The family and friends were still in mourning. Jesus then went to the cave where Lazarus was buried. He told them to take away the stone!

After a brief objection, they did indeed take away the stone. Jesus prayed. Then he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” What the people present there that day witnessed is something they would never forget.

The Bible says Lazarus came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. When they buried Lazarus, as was their custom, he was wrapped with fine linen, and also had a napkin put about his face.

It is obvious as Lazarus came out of the cave he had some difficulty walking. That’s why Jesus told them to “loose him, and let him go.” It would then be equally obvious that his legs were not wound together, but wound separately.

After Jesus died and was buried, Peter looked into the tomb. He saw the grave wrappings, and, he saw the napkin, which would have covered Jesus’ face. The Scriptures give us this important detail about the napkin: “not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”

This detail is very significant because the Scriptures do not say the grave wrappings were wrapped, or folded together, just the napkin. Peter saw the napkin folded, and it was not with the grave wrappings, and he also saw the grave wrappings just lying there. The grave wrappings were untouched, still wound. Peter saw an empty shell!

When God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, Jesus didn’t need to be unwrapped like Lazarus; he simply came right out of those grave wrappings! Those linen clothes remained right where they were laid when his dead body was inside them. What an awesome sight to behold!

Peter was one of the witnesses of Lazarus being raised from the dead. He had the memory of that man coming out of the cave, still wrapped, needing someone to get him loose. But there in the sepulcre where Jesus was laid, Peter saw the empty grave wrappings of Jesus, not folded, but lying right where they were when the body was inside.

Did Jesus take the napkin and fold it and put it in a place by itself? Did one of the angels do it? The Bible doesn’t say who did it, but this detail included in the Scriptures gives us an awesome picture of what Peter saw that morning.

God raised Jesus Christ from the dead in an instant of time. Jesus, in his resurrected body, came right out of those grave wrappings. Then God had the stone rolled back, not so Jesus could get out, but so people could look in! And what Peter saw when he looked in was just awesome!

The cornerstone of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As you read the book of Acts and the Church Epistles you see very clearly the great message of the first century was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 17 tells us God’s assurance unto all people that Jesus Christ is indeed the savior is in that He raised him from the dead. It was the resurrection from the dead to die no more that marks Jesus Christ out as the redeemer of mankind. It is believing God raised him from the dead that gets a person saved.

Ephesians tells us we are saved by grace, not by works. Romans 10 verse 9 shows how anyone can get saved: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Jesus Christ walked the earth in his resurrected body for 40 days. He performed signs and miracles during that time. He was seen by hundreds of people. And the Bible promises us that one day he is coming back to gather together those who believe in him; we will be caught up together with him in the clouds, and so shall we ever be with the lord.

John 20:6 and 7
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

John 11:39-44
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Acts 4:33
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 17:31
Because he [God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Ephesians 2:8 and 9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Acts 1:3
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

I Corinthians 15:4-6
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

I Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.