Date: Sun PM 4th April 2021
Preacher: Rev. David McLaughlin
Bible Reference: 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.
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Sermon Summary
The Significance of the Napkin
A Reformed Exposition of 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.” — John 20:7 (KJV)
I. Introduction: The Divine Use of Small Things
No word of Scripture is idle. The Spirit of God never wastes syllables. What seems, at first glance, a mere incidental detail in the Gospel of John proves to be a vessel of immense doctrinal weight. The resurrection narrative contains within it a seemingly minor observation—the position of a folded napkin within the empty tomb. To the indifferent reader, it is nothing. To the eye illumined by faith, it is a revelation of the victory, calm sovereignty, and abiding purpose of the risen Lord.
The Reformed tradition has ever insisted upon this principle: every jot and tittle of God’s Word bears intention. The detail which men call trivial often hides the very essence of divine mystery. So it is here. The folded napkin in John 20:7 preaches a sermon concerning Christ’s death, resurrection, and return, all without a human voice.
II. The Historical Scene at the Tomb
The narrative opens in the gray light of early dawn. Mary Magdalene comes to the sepulchre while it is yet dark (John 20:1). She finds the stone rolled away and runs to Simon Peter and to “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.” Peter and John run together toward the tomb; John arrives first but refrains from entering. Stooping down, he sees “the linen clothes lying.” Peter, arriving moments later, goes straight inside and beholds what John had seen—and more. There is “the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” Shortly afterward, John enters; the record simply says, “he saw, and believed.” (John 20:8)
This small, deliberate order in the resting tomb awakened faith. There was no sign of human interference, no evidence of robbery, no chaos or disturbance. All was calm, structured, purposeful. The resurrection was not an accident, nor the work of men; it was an act of divine omnipotence.
III. What Is Meant by the “Napkin”?
Our English term “napkin,” employed by the translators of the Authorized Version in 1611, renders the Greek soudarion—a small cloth, often a towel or face‑covering. In Scripture it occurs three times:
- Luke 19:20 — The unfaithful servant hides his lord’s pound “in a napkin.”
- John 11:44 — Lazarus emerges from the tomb, “his face bound about with a napkin.”
- John 20:7 — The head‑cloth used in the burial of Christ is “wrapped together in a place by itself.”
The connection between these appearances is clear: in John’s Gospel the napkin is a burial cloth. Jewish custom required that the deceased be wrapped with linen strips mixed with aromatic spices and that a separate towel be placed over the face. It was a mark of reverence and modesty. Hence, in John 20:7, this “napkin” is no dinner serviette but the face‑cloth once covering the holy countenance of Jesus of Nazareth.
IV. The Picture of Order and Mastery
When Peter entered the sepulchre, what he saw astonished him. The linen clothes were lying precisely where the body had been, as though the body had simply passed through them. But apart from them, carefully arranged, lay the napkin.
This quiet, intentional order forms a striking picture of divine composure. Christ did not rise as a fugitive bursting from a tomb; He rose as the Master of death, departing His grave as a king leaves his chamber. The serenity of that scene refutes every suggestion of confusion. Even death itself had been compelled to orderliness beneath His command.
Ancient custom lends further color. In traditional Jewish households, a servant awaiting his master’s signal during a meal would read it from the master’s handling of his towel. If the master finished his meal, he cast the cloth aside, and the servant cleared the table. But if he folded the towel neatly and set it down, the servant knew his master meant to return.
Therefore, the meaning of the folded napkin becomes clear: Christ is not finished; He shall return. It is as if the Lord of Glory, leaving the sepulchre, purposely placed there a sign for His servants, saying, “I am not done. I will come again.”
V. The Napkin’s Threefold Declaration
1. Christ Truly Died
A burial cloth bears witness to an actual death. The napkin, once upon the Saviour’s face, is silent proof that His death was genuine. Against every theory that He merely swooned or feigned death, Scripture bids us behold the winding‑sheet and the napkin.
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried.” (1 Corinthians 15:3‑4)
He tasted death in reality and in full substitution for His people. The napkin, like a seal affixed to a document, authenticates the reality of that sacrifice.
2. Christ Truly Rose
If enemies had stolen the body, why would they have paused to unwrap it? If friends had removed Him, why would they have left the tomb perfectly ordered? The silent witness of the folded napkin testifies that no human hand disturbed that resting place. The resurrected body of Jesus had passed through those wrappings, leaving them undisturbed.
Contrast this with the scene in John 11:44, where Lazarus comes forth bound hand and foot with grave‑clothes, his face still covered with a napkin. Lazarus needed others to loose him. But when Jesus rose, He was bound by nothing. He Himself set everything in order; He needed no one to free Him, for death’s dominion had utterly failed.
The napkin thus declares that the Lord’s resurrection was not partial or assisted, but absolute, calm, and triumphant.
3. Christ Will Return Again
The folded napkin also bears prophetic meaning. By that deliberate act, Christ discloses His promise of return. The gesture reflects the cultural language of a master leaving and promising to come back.
“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” (John 14:2‑3)
Every fold of that napkin whispers this assurance. The Saviour’s resurrection is not the end of His story; it is the prelude of His coming glory. Just as He came forth from the grave exactly as He had said, so He shall descend from heaven again with the same certainty (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17).
VI. The False Relic of the Shroud of Turin
Through later centuries superstition attempted to imprison this truth in tangible relics. Rome points to the Shroud of Turin, a full‑length cloth depicted with a faint image and hailed as Christ’s burial shroud. But it cannot be that “napkin” of John 20:7, nor any other biblical relic of our Lord.
First, the biblical text distinguishes two separate cloths—the linen clothes and the napkin. The Turin fabric is a single sheet.
Second, Scripture affirms that His flesh saw no corruption (Acts 2:31). The supposed facial imprint presupposes decay.
Third, to venerate a piece of linen is contrary to the gospel itself. The power of the resurrection lies not in cloth and fiber but in the living, reigning Christ. Protestant faith rejects all worship of relics as idolatry. Those who kneel before the Turin shroud gaze upon deception, while neglecting the risen Redeemer whom the folded napkin so majestically proclaims.
VII. The Completed but Continuing Work of Christ
On the cross, the dying Saviour cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The atonement was complete; the debt of sin paid in full. Yet the napkin folded in the tomb reveals that, though His redeeming work is completed, His saving ministry continues.
- As Prophet, He now teaches and illuminates His people through His Word and Spirit.
- As Priest, He intercedes for them at the right hand of the Father, applying the benefits of His sacrifice.
- As King, He conquers and governs all things to the glory of His name and the good of His church.
When He folded the napkin, as though finishing one task and preparing for another, He declared: “My work is finished, but not ended.” Redemption accomplished is still being applied by Christ until the final resurrection when death shall die forever.
VIII. The Personal and Pastoral Application: Peace with God
Consider again John’s simple statement: “He saw, and believed.” What did he see? An empty tomb, yes—but more than that, an ordered one. The folded napkin spoke to his heart as clearly as a voice from heaven: “The Lord is alive, and His word is true.”
This same truth confronts every reader: do you have peace with God? The resurrection proves that justification is secured.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
“He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)
None can possess real peace apart from that risen Lord. The world pursues comfort through excess, escapism, or philosophy, yet all such peace is temporary and false. The calm order of the tomb invites every restless soul to enter by faith into the quiet certainty of reconciliation through Him who conquered death.
IX. The Consolation of Believers
The folded napkin is more than a token of theological truth; it is a symbol of Christ’s tender providence. He who governs the cosmos still bends to attend the details of His people’s lives. The Lord who folded His burial cloth is meticulous in His care for His church. As He arranged that small article in perfect order, so He arranges every event in the believer’s pilgrimage. Nothing escapes His sight; nothing lies outside His plan.
If He handled His own grave‑clothes with such composure and purpose, shall He not also handle the believer’s sorrows, trials, and future with equal wisdom? The smallest token in the tomb assures us that the risen Lord is both mighty and mindful.
X. Conclusion: The Folded Token of Eternal Certainty
A folded napkin in a borrowed tomb—a simple, homely object—yet laden with everlasting meaning. It proclaims:
- Redemption Completed – Christ truly died and satisfied divine justice.
- Resurrection Accomplished – He rose in sovereign power and unbreakable holiness.
- Return Assured – He will come again to receive His own unto Himself.
The folded linen of the tomb preaches silently what every faithful preacher proclaims aloud: He which was dead liveth, and liveth for evermore (Revelation 1:18). Until He returns, the church waits between two triumphant words—“It is finished” and “Behold, I come quickly.”
The napkin of John 20:7 bridges those two declarations; it is the quiet message of the Risen Lord to His people: “My work is perfect, My care is continual, My coming is sure.”
Soli Deo Gloria
For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
