4/18/09

Signs

Well it has been confirmed. Spring is here! We are in the midst of it. The birds are building their nests. My tulips are coming up, several are 6 - 8 inches out of the ground already. It is only a matter of time before they will be blooming. I've even heard the sound of lawnmowers around the neighborhood and have witnessed raking of the yards. Therefore the signs of Spring is certain.

True, we might have a day where the weather gets colder and we could still have a light snowfall, but even with that chance, we know that Winter is past. The season has changed.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything...to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

It is very clearly evident if you look at the signs of the times, that our Lord's coming is drawing near. The birth pains and the signs of the times should motivate all of us who call ourselves "Christian" to sit up and take notice, to stand up and be counted, to no longer shut up but to share God's sacrificial love to as many as we can in the time that we have left. The King is returning! Very Soon He Will Arrive.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.......

John 20:7 tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early that Sun day morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body and I don't know where they have taken Him!"

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the napkin that had covered Jesus face was folded up and lying to one side.
Is that important? Absolutely!
Is that really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about the Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the Servant set the dinner table for the Master, he made sure it was exactly the way the Master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the Master had finished eating. The Servant would not dare touch that table until the Master was finished.

If the Master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished".

If the Master got up from the table, and folded his napkin beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because....the folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"
He is coming back!