“Then, following him, Simon Peter came also.
He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there.
The wrapping that had been on His head
was not lying with the linen cloths
but was folded up in a separate place by itself.”
John 20:6-7
“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him.” Peter and John hear the weeping words of Mary Magdalene, and they rush to the tomb. Arriving first, John bends over and peers in. When Peter appears, he immediately enters the tomb, followed by John. Strips of linen, possibly still caked with scabs and spices, lie there. But where is the body of Jesus? And what’s this? The cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head is laid by itself. Not merely tossed aside, but neatly folded up.
John and Peter must have known the custom of some carpenters in first century Palestine. A carpenter carried a sweat cloth to wipe his face as he worked. To show a job was completed, an illiterate carpenter folded up the cloth and left it on or near his work, indicating to the one who hired him, “My work is finished.”
After Jesus said “It is finished” and gave up His spirit, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lovingly took down Jesus’ disfigured body from the cross, a body that was “marred beyond human likeness.” (Isaiah 52:14) They gave Jesus a decent burial, washing his body and wrapping it in strips of linen with 75 pounds of spices, an amount used in royal burials. As was the Jewish custom, they wrapped his face with a cloth and laid Him in a new tomb.
Yet now here is an empty tomb except for grave-clothes and a neatly folded cloth. A robber would never have left order behind. If someone had stolen Jesus’ body, the grave-clothes would most likely be gone with it.
“The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.” Why? Commentator Matthew Henry believed Jesus is sending us a message: “No one stole Me away. On the contrary, I rose up alone. I walked out alone. I alone did this, for I alone could do it. I am Almighty God.”
As John and Peter gazed at the folded cloth, did Jesus’ words about the work He must do flood back into their souls? Did they remember how Jesus promised that after three days He would rise again?
According to John 20:19, we know they were afraid. The disciples had locked the doors because of their fear of the Jewish leaders. But then Jesus Himself in the flesh suddenly stood among them and breathed “Peace be with you!” Peace that bursts their hearts with joy!
Jesus has finished what He came to do – to die in our place to redeem us from sin and death, and He has risen again just as He promised. We don’t need to look for him among the dead. He is risen!
Are we still mourning the death of Jesus, or are we opening the eyes of our hearts to what Jesus has finished for us and to the hope and joy of His glorious resurrection?
“My Redeemer Lives”
by Nicole C. Mullen
P.S. This is an edited version of a post from 5 years ago, before many of you were reading this blog. I hope it will strengthen your heart to know our Redeemer lives. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow and whatever troubles come our way!
We are traveling to a family event this week to attend a special ceremony and to celebrate our son’s retirement from the Air Force after 20 years in the military. I hope to post again on April 3. 🙂
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Freed to Fly 
This is beautiful, Trudy! I’m so grateful for the hope of Easter. I hope you have a lovely Easter and enjoy your family celebration!
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Thank you, Lesley. I hope you have a lovely Easter as well! May our hearts rejoice in our Risen Redeemer and the hope only He can give!
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What a beautiful Easter reflection. The question goes deep-are we still mourning the death of Jesus or opening our eyes to what the resurrected Jesus has for us? Thank you for this beauty.
I am praying for safe travels and a wonderful time with your son. Happy Easter!
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Thank you for your kind words, Mary. At times in my life I mourn like Jesus is still in the grave, but I’m so grateful He is alive even in those times when it didn’t feel like it. 🙂 May we more and more open our eyes to what our resurrected Savior has for us! Happy Easter to you, too!
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I never knew the fact about the folded cloth being an indication that a carpenter had completed his work. How perfect!!! Yes, it is finished, and Jesus has won the victory for us all!
Blessings, Trudy, and safe travels! Happy Easter!
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Thank you, Martha. Easter Blessings to you, too! Everything Jesus has done and still does has such meaning and purpose, right? May we rest in His finished work and victory!
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What a beautiful Easter week meditation, Trudy! I love the insight you gave about the folded cloth! Wonderful! ❤ and hugs!
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Thank you, Lynn. Jesus does His work for us so purposefully and completely, doesn’t He? Hugs to you, too! May we have a wonderful Easter rejoicing in our Risen Savior who has conquered death for us!
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Dear Trudy, Thank you for this beautiful Easter post full of rejoicing and praise! I so appreciate the thought of Jesus’ folding up of the cloth as just one more sign to speak to us that He has FINISHED the work God gave Him to do on our behalf! I pray that you will have a wonderful time with your family this weekend. Wow! What an accomplishment for your son to be retiring after 20 years in the military. Congratulations! Have a Blessed Easter!
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Thank you, Bettie. For your prayers and your Congrats to our son. I so appreciate those who serve and have served. Also their spouses and children who have to go through far more than many people realize. It will be a great adjustment for him and his family as he is now looking for another job. It’s hard to fathom the depths of Jesus’ love for us, isn’t it? May our hearts be lifted each day as we remember He has FINISHED the work God gave Him to do on our behalf! I hope you have a Blessed Easter, too, as we rejoice in our Risen Redeemer and the boundless love He has for us!
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Have a wonderful Easter TrudyI I know I can still find myself in shame from the past even though God does not want me to remember. He doesn’t remember our sins! Once we confess, it is finished, and we are washed clean, to walk in victory. I love your imagery and description of the resurrection especially the focus on the cloth. Thanks for sharing this again!
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Thank you, Lynn. I pray you have a wonderful Easter as well! It’s so easy for us to slip into that shame of the past, isn’t it? It’s so incomprehensible that God doesn’t even remember our sins! May we believe ever deeper in our hearts that Jesus has washed us clean and we can walk in victory because of His great love and sacrifice for us!
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He is risen indeed! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family this weekend. How proud you must be of your son’s service to his country! Please thank him for his service for us all! ❤
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Thank you, Jennifer, for your well-wishes and thanks. Yes, I am proud of our son’s service to our country. 🇺🇸 I also have a son-in-law who is in the Air Guard full-time and two grand-daughters who are in the Air Guard as well. I’m thankful to all of them and to their spouses who also deserve appreciation. But I’m proud of all my kids and grandkids. 🙂 Each one is so special! May we rejoice in our Risen Redeemer who has given us the victory!
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Trudy, this post . . . Wow! You shared things I’ve never heard before. I love learning new facets about Bible-time culture and what they meant, and being able to see the transcendent message. The head cloth being folded and set apart . . . I didn’t know that was the sign of a job completed. And isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? He completed the work of salvation, or offering grace to a sin-filled world.
I will be pondering this as Easter Sunday nears. Thank you, friend! Love and Hugs to you!
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I’m glad this means something to you, Jeanne. I love learning new facets, too. I was awed when I first learned this. It’s so precious that Jesus gave another sign that His work for us was completed. Love and hugs to you, too! May we rejoice always in the completed work of salvation for us! Sinners saved by grace!
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Oh how powerfully “It is finished!” resonates from your beautiful, reflective words! I was intrigued to discover the wonderfully symbolic reason for the folded cloth. It really speaks to me, and how powerfully it must have spoken to those who knew the custom and its deep significance! Thank you for sharing these insights and for all you do to enlighten and encourage our hearts. May you also be refreshed, blessed, inspired and encouraged during your Easter celebrations and special time with your family. What a marvellous thing for your son to have served faithfully in the military for 20 years! How proud you must be. Happy Easter, Trudy! Love and hugs to you and prayers for health and strength enough to enjoy all that lies ahead. I hope you get opportunity to rest and become restored in every way. xo ❤
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I’m so grateful the power of Jesus’ words and actions spoke to you, Joy. I hope you had a special Easter. Thank you so much for your prayers for strength. I know you empathize with how the chronic fatigue and lack of energy associated with chronic illness can affect us. God did give me special strength so I could enjoy it. The backlash of the busyness is hitting me though today. I’ll just have to take time to recoup this week. xo and love to you, too! May God continue to enlighten and encourage our hearts with the magnitude of His love for us!
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[…] Resurrection Hope, Peace, and Joy […]
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“Are we still mourning the death of Jesus, or are we opening the eyes of our hearts to what Jesus has finished for us and to the hope and joy of His glorious resurrection?” Great food for thought, Trudy.
And big congratulations to your son!!! Quite an accomplishment!
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Thank you, Lisa. It was a special time. My heart swelled even more when in his thank-you speech to all who helped him through, our son ascribed glory to God for all his accomplishments. 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful Easter. May our hearts daily open wide to receive the work of love Jesus finished for us and to the hope and joy of His glorious resurrection!
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I love this, Trudy. Thank you for reminding us of the beauty and joy Easter represents. We can get so caught up in the pain Jesus suffered we forget why he did it and what freedom He brought us. As you so perfectly stated, instead of continuing to mourn His death, let’s focus on the hope and joy of the Resurrection. Safe travels, my friend. Many thanks to your son for his years of service! What a wonderful thing to celebrate.
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Thank you, Candace. 🙂 Yes, it’s a wonderful thing to celebrate. Our military men and women need to be appreciated. Their spouses and children, too, as it’s not easy for them either. But oh, how much more reason we have to celebrate Jesus and His deep love for us! May we never forget to appreciate the freedom He has bought us!
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Happy Easter a little late Trudy~ and congratulations to you all on your sons retirement!! So exciting! love being here and have missed keeping up 😦 Thanks for your words of hope and loving presence here! with hugs and love!
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Thank you, Susie. 🙂 I hope you had a Happy Easter, too. I’m glad you find hope here when you stop in. I love having you here. 🙂 I really miss your poems and art work, but sometimes we have to tend to our families first, right? That’s takes a lot of creativity, too! 🙂 Hugs and love to you, too! May we more deeply trust our Redeemer lives and is with us always, even when we can’t “feel” Him!
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