John 20:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus ' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

NIV: as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.

NASB: and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself.

CSB: 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.

NLT: while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

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

NKJV: and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

Jesus was hastily buried (John 19:42) but given the basic dignity of being wrapped in linen before being sealed into a borrowed tomb (John 19:39–40). This wrapping is the same which Jesus had asked for others to remove from Lazarus after that miracle (John 11:44). John has waited outside the tomb, while Peter walks in to investigate (John 20:1–6). Along with the now-empty linen strips, he sees something even more unusual.

The cloth designated for Jesus' face is placed off to the side, away from the other burial clothes. It's not casually thrown or crumpled, either. It's been folded. That, also, would be confusing if this was the work of grave robbers. To strip the body naked before taking it would be bizarre (John 20:6). Taking the time and effort to fold the face cloth would be even stranger.

A common claim about this face cloth involves a dinner custom in Jesus' era. According to this legend, a person seated at dinner would signal to servants using that cloth. If the person left the cloth in a certain way, it meant they were finished. Another arrangement meant they were coming back. The common legend about the face cloth is that it was twisted into some symbolic arrangement: a physical message literally meaning "I will return." Though this is a popular and encouraging idea, it cannot be verified in any sense. Nothing in history or archaeology supports either the dinner custom or the specific arrangement of the cloth.

The folding of the cloth is noteworthy enough without needing added significance. John will overcome his hesitation to come into the tomb, possibly because Peter mentions that he has seen this detail. Seeing the face cloth will give him a jolt of realization. This is a sign of deliberate action—by Jesus. While John may not have entirely understood, seeing this cloth seems to have set his mind to the idea that Jesus is truly alive (John 20:8).

John 20:1–10 includes the first moments in which Jesus' followers realize He has been resurrected. Mary Magdalene brings Peter and John to the grave after finding it open. John sees the empty grave wrappings and realizes what has happened. Mary will remain behind and encounter a pair of angels, as well as Jesus, soon after. John's chosen details complement those found in Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, and Luke 24:1–12.

Peter and John get a report from Mary Magdalene that Jesus' body is gone. They arrive to find an open grave, and empty grave clothes, along with a folded face cloth. When the two men leave, Mary remains and suddenly encounters a resurrected Jesus. Though she tells the others, they resist believing until they see Jesus in person. Thomas is especially stubborn, and Jesus remarks on how blessed they are to have been given so much proof. John points out that his writing is meant to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, arranged to encourage those who read to come to faith.

Most of Jesus' disciples scattered and hid when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56). Only John and some women were present to see His death and burial (John 19:26–30, 41–42; Matthew 27:60–61). When Jesus' tomb is seen empty, there is further confusion. Jesus appears to His followers, proving that He is alive, and remarking that they are blessed to have so much proof. John will complete his account in the next chapter with another encounter and more reminders about the nature of his writing.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.