Did you know that every detail of Scripture is recorded for a purpose?
All too often we read through many of the stories and historical accounts in the Bible without understanding the significance of the small details. This is especially true when we do not understand the cultural customs of the day. One of those customs was how a guest at a banquet handled his napkin during a meal.
Banquets and meals in Middle Eastern culture were an entire evening affair. While eating, guests could come and go from their places, so servants cleaning up the banquet would not want to clear a place if the guest was going to return. Thus a commonly followed custom was to fold the napkin if you planned to return, this signaled to the servants your intention of returning. If you did not return you would leave the napkin crumpled, so the servants knew they could clear your place.
After Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples went into the tomb where they found the flattened burial cloths, which had been wrapped around His body. But the cloth “napkin” that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head was not found lying in a crumpled pile. It had been neatly folded and laid aside, clearly signaling the widely known custom of the day. Christ was letting us all know His intention to return! John 20:6-9
(Source: Inspired Evidence – Von Vett & Malone )
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