Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Sign of the Napkin


"My Savior is risen, the stone is rolled away! The napkin is still folded, though stained with the blood from His thorn pierced brow. It is a sign to us all that He is not yet finished. Come to the Savior while the napkin is still folded. If you delay, coming soon is the day, when as at the Last Supper the napkin will be wadded, not folded, and thrown far away. Time will have run out. Come while the napkin is still folded, please don't turn away!"

Theses word started playing themselves through my head during one of my Pastor's sermon awhile back and I decided to capture them in ink and pen and now share them if you care to read! What a beautiful picture God painted in the sign of the napkin that was folded! The sign of the napkin that was wrapped about His head being folded and laid aside was something I always knew had to have a purpose, but never understood it's meaning until then. For those of you who were like me and didn't know what it meant, I'll try to sum it up for you. That way, you too, may understand the great message behind that wonderful sign!
In Jewish custom the servant would set the table for the master and then stand off in a corner to wait until the master was finished to clear his place. The servant wouldn't dare approach the table again till the master had given him the sign that he was finished. This sign was a very clear and simple sign. The master would take the napkin that had been neatly folded by the servant at the beginning of the meal and finish cleaning his hands and beard. Then, if the master wadded it up and placed it on the table, the servant would know that he was finished and could start clearing the table, for the meal was over. But if the master refolded the napkin and laid it aside the servant would know that the master was not finished and there was still more to come! As with this simple example of Jewish custom, Christ's napkin, that was wrapped about his head when he was laid in the tomb (another custom) was not wadded up but rather folded neatly. It declared the wonderful news to all that He was not yet done! There is still time for many more to come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! Until the day when we all meet at that banquet in the sky's and Christ will be seated at the head of the table, He will then wad up His napkin and throw it on the table as a sign to us all that He is finished!
What a day that will be! Let us bring others to join Him while the napkin is still yet folded!

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