Why 'wrapped together in a place by itself '?
Because Jesus wished
to show that He arose calmly: no haste, no hurry, not as if in flight from the
tomb, but in solemn triumph and at leisure. So He wishes His people to be calm.
'He that believeth shall not make haste.' Yes, and see! He folded the napkin
neatly and laid it by.
But far more. That napkin had been put there by
Joseph and Nicodemus. Christ very likely was as beautiful as Moses, but His
face had been marred by suffering. After His death the beauty all returned, and
that was why they did not cover His face with a napkin, as John 11: 44. Seeing
the bleeding wounds caused by the crown of thorns, they carefully and tenderly
drew the napkin round His brow. When Jesus awoke on the third day He noticed
this act of kindness, and folded up the napkin and laid it in a place by
itself, as indeed precious to Him, because it told the tenderness of their care
for Him. They will hear more about this napkin when He returns.
Thus He
cares for the smallest acts of kindness we do for Him and to Him; how much more
for what we do under difficulties and in suffering, and not least, for our
efforts to win souls.
Transcribed from Reminiscences of Andrew A.Bonar D.D.
first published
LONDON, HODDER AND STOUGHTON,
27 Paternoster
Row
1895
HTML transcription files copyright © 2001-2006.
Jane Newble
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This sermon added 13 June 2001