April 15
A Savior of Grace
The cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side. (John 20:7)
You could read the passage a thousand times and never catch it. You could meditate on John’s account of Jesus’ resurrection for hours and still not come away with this particular thought. It’s so subtle that you might never find it. In fact, I’m convinced I would have never seen it had my wife not pointed it out to me. We were sitting in church while the passage was read, and she reached over and put her finger on my Bible, bringing a phrase to my attention. “I’ve never noticed that before,” I told her. Neither had she. See if you can find the words she pointed out.
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“Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side” (John 20:6-7).
Does anything stand out? Any phrase seem to jump out at you? Let me narrow it down. “The cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up.” When the disciples looked into the empty tomb of Jesus, what was the first thing they saw? They saw his head cloth “folded up” on the seat where Jesus once lay. It wasn’t thrown across the room in victory, it wasn’t lying in a heap on the floor; it was neatly folded and placed on the bench. Does this speak to you like it does to me? It must have made an impact on John since he took the time to record it.
Jesus comes back to life after all he’s been through, and he takes the time to fold his sheets? Jesus bursts through the gates of hell, steals the key, deals Satan and his demons a fatal blow, then finishes the act by rising victoriously from the grave, and then what does he do next? Does he pump his fist in victory? Does he shove the stone away with supernatural might and claim his authority to the guards? No. He sits and folds his head cloth. He lays it on the bench and waits for the angel.
Doesn’t that speak volumes about the character of Jesus? Isn’t that the way you like to picture him? I know I do. Jesus was a man of unlimited power and strength, yet he lived with incredible humility and restraint. He didn’t come to show us how mighty and omnipotent he is—he came to complete a mission.
Today’s Reading
Reflection
How does this picture of Jesus give you comfort? How can you live daily with the same grace and dignity with which Jesus lived and died?
Embracing Eternity: Living Each Day with a Heart Toward Heaven
Copyright © 2004 by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. All rights reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 2004, QuickVerse, a division of FindEx.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
