Pastor Ralph Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The significance of the grave clothes: "strips of linen lying by themselves" and "the strips of linen lying there" suggest that Jesus' body had slipped free of the grave clothes without disturbing them whatsoever. If anyone had removed the body, he would not have stripped it first, nor would he have taken the trouble to remove and roll up the napkin and put it in a place by itself. The modern theory that Jesus had been in a coma and somehow revived in the cool of the tomb meets its match as well. If Jesus had revived, he would have had to unwind the grave shroud in order to walk free. Eventhough Jesus had often hinted and alluded to His resurrection the disciples did not understand. This was probably because the thought of Jesus' death and leaving them is so overwhelming that they don't listen to the resurrection part. Often we see some miracles and our natural Man take over and we try to seek a logical explanation of the event. It is only when we spend time and seek the Lord that He opens our eyes and hearts to understand the significance of the miracle that we had witnessed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Jesus body was wrapped in linen strips of cloth with 75 pounds of ointments and spices placed within to obscure the smell of putrefaction as the body decayed. The fact that a "shell" or "cocoon" was lying undisturbed on the stone shelf and the "napkin" or facial cloth was folded in a separate place, was evidence that the body had not been stolen (it would have been stolen still wrapped). That the napkin was folded in a separate place, was placed there intentionally and carefully by Jesus, as further evidence of the resurrection. If the body had been stolen, the napkin would not have been folded...it would have either gone with the body or fallen off along the way. Further, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he "came forth" still wrapped, and I imagine "hopping" as his legs were still bound and he had to be set free. (He was not resurrected, but raised to live again and to die again). But the fact that Jesus' wrappings were intact also dispelled the idea that Jesus did not really die but was only in a coma, as others would have had to unwrap him and then take and hide his body if they were trying to fake a resurrection. Another aspect of the "coma" theory would have meant that Jesus unwrapped Himself...He could not do this and leave the shell intact, any more than Lazarus could, as the arms were bound tightly to the body. I have no idea whether the shroud of Turin is what was placed over the wrapped Jesus, and it matters not to me, but experts say that the image on the shroud was from no less than from intense heat and radiation....that is what I imagine was the kind of power which raised Jesus from the dead and is what interests me. Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Peter just could not take it in that Jesus would die, period. Jesus had rebuked Peter when Jesus had told them He would die and be raised from the dead, and Peter was adamant that this could not happen....Jesus said: "Get behind me Satan". Peter cut off the ear of Malchus' servant when Jesus was being arrested...still trying to prevent anything bad happening to His Jesus. Today we call it "denial" when one cannot accept the unacceptable...probably another reason Peter denied knowing Jesus during the trial. ("This is not really happening...") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes was to show that no one stole Jesus body. The idea of Jesus' resurrection wasn't yet part of his understanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? People have tried to put forward theories to refute the resurrection. One is that Jesus didn't really die on the cross, so when he was put in the tomb, revived, set himself free from the grave clothes, moved the stone from the entrance of the tomb and exited (McDowell). Another theory was that the body was at some stage stolen from the tomb. So the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb is that if the body was stolen, it would be unlikely that the thieves would unwrap the body in the tomb, place the clothes in an ordered way where the body had been lying and then remove the body. In addition, if Jesus had somehow revived and managed to unwrap himself from the grave clothes, it would also be unlikely that he would leave the grave clothes in such a way. It seems that Peter and John found the grave clothes undisturbed as if the body had resurrected without moving them (John 20:6). As the notes point out, Peter must have been overwhelmed (with emotion) given the recent events. He at this early stage, after discovering Jesus body not in the tomb anymore, found it hard to accept the resurrection. It had not dawned on him yet (Luke 24:12b). Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict Vol 1, pp 241-257, Campus Crusade for Christ, 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? It confirmed that Jesus miraculously slipped out of them leaving in the very position and manner they were folded around his body. Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? May be he was still in his confused and clouded mind as the result of the shocking events of the arrest, torture and the terrible memories of the crucifixion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerbrand van Schalkwyk Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? As mentioned it pointed to Jesus not being removed by somebody or that He recovered from a coma. What is more, the face cloth is specifically mentioned as being separate. and that it was rolled up. This pointed the way rich people handled face cloths. When they ate, the servants would wait behind the master to serve his every need. If the master was called away and he threw his napkin down, he signalled the servant that he was finished - clean up. If he folded or rolled the napkin he signalled, wait for me, i am not done, i am coming back.again. Jesus, The Master told us the servants, wait for Me, I am not done, I Am coming back again. Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? This miracle is outside normal thinking, i would have probably missed it as well. He knew Jesus died and was buried. Jesus Who did the miracles was not there to do the miracles anymore. Who was going to do the miracle? Yet we have to live not as in the world but as in the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom All Things Are Possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The fact that the linen grave clothes had been left lying in an orderly fashion, and that they might even have still been left in the general shape in which they had been wrapped around the body, indicates that the body was not taken away in a hurry. Since everything lay in such order and decency, it must have been done by our Lord Himself or by the angels. If someone had stolen the body it is highly unlikely that they would have left in an orderly and unhurried manner – even leaving the clothing carefully folded. It is more likely that the robbers would have taken the body in its wrappings. If they had left the clothes behind, they would have left them in disorder. When John entered the tomb and saw the orderly arrangement of the grave cloths, maybe he remembered, understood and believed what Jesus had told them earlier about His coming Resurrection. I doubt John was contrasting his faith with Peter’s unbelief. It was simply a confession of his own faith. But still we read in Luke 24:12 that Peter 'went away, wondering to himself what had happened'. Peter, like most people, perhaps need time to fully comprehend the reality of the Resurrection. He needed time to turn over in his mind all the evidence before he came to a decision about what had happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The significance of the presence and position of Jesus burial clothes tells us no one had hastily came and removed his body. After Jesus resurrected he neatly folded the head cloth to show that he was the one who had removed and folded it. It was difficult for Peter to believe Jesus had risen from the dead. It was that he never really understood what Jesus had told the disciples three different times, about his death and resurrection. Peter probably believed someone had come and taken the body, namely the Romans. To be truthful, Peter was totally confused, not until Jesus appeared to the apostles and explain his resurrection did Peter understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The grave clothes were found in neat condition to serve as evidence that His body was not stolen but that He had in fact risen. Peter maybe was not as quick to run and comprehend as John however he was bold when he did run and comprehend. If this were today he would have been given a label such as ADD or not the brightest bulb on the block however we all have our gifts and our pace at which we process. What Peter and the disciples had to process was enormous and in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances and events. We all have different temperaments, some are more analytical, some more feeling oriented. May we all be kind to each other and to have compassion. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteD Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Lesson 32 Question 2 What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? It is significant that the grave clothes were present and that the cloth was folded up apart from the linen. All this speaks against someone such as robbers or disciples - removing the body. Rather it implies that Jesus emerged from the clothes and linen rather like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Even though Jesus spoke many times of his death and resurrection, unless one were to see the resurrected Jesus, he or she would have inferred that an empty grave would have meant that a much more likely cause of this, such as grave robbery, would explain the absence of Jesus from the grave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Everything was very orderly. This demonstrated that this was not a grave robbery. I think it was difficult for Peter to believe because he was still deep in grief and guilt. His mind was not working properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The linen wrappings were left as if Jesus had passed right through them. The cloth that covered Jesus’ head was still rolled up in the shape of a head, and it was at about the right distance from the wrappings that had enveloped Jesus’ body. A grave robber couldn’t possibly have made off with Jesus’ body and left the linens as if they were still shaped around it. This was a miracle and it was difficult for Peter to apprehend what had happened. As further proof that the disciples did not fabricate this story, we find that Peter and John were surprised that Jesus was not in the tomb. When John saw the linen wrappings looking like an empty cocoon from which Jesus had emerged, he believed that Jesus had risen. It wasn’t until after they had seen the empty tomb that they remembered what the Scriptures and Jesus had said—he would die, but he would also rise again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted July 11, 2015 Report Share Posted July 11, 2015 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? This suggests the body was not stolen, that the clothes were so neatly organized, what ever happened, it was not rushed like a thief in the night. Peter was still emotionally in knots, as he had failed and denied the Lord 3 times. We however know the "full bible story" of Jesus resurrection. It is interesting that John's own gospel explains how he understood but Peter didn't. I guess seeing is believing; but we are blessed like Jesus prayed in John 17, blessed are those who will not see, but still believe. The way the Holy Spirit came to me in September 2007 was by providing physical feelings of energy I can't explain even today. Yet we receive this energy, by the grace of God, to sustain us each day. So Peter had not yet felt or seen what was God's plan to make him believe the resurrection was the fulfillment of God's promise for eternity, in a way no one can deny. Glory hallelujah ! He is risen! This is how God came to me on September 2 2007, while I was reading John 20:10 early in the morning. Later that night my ex-wife to be came to announce her divorcing me, after 26 years. was like Peter, not aware of everything, with a shallow heart, and a worldly ego-pride-mind ruling most of what I did. Praise God for His healing of me up to this point my life. Given another day today I pray for focus on His will, and to become more like the Peter who surrendered and let God use him fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 The presence of the grave clothes is evidence enough that Jesus' body was not stolen, for no one would have taken time to unwrap the body or desire to carry an unwrapped decaying corpse. The position of the linen cloths, lying just as if they were still wrapped around a body, is evidence enough that Jesus was not revived from a coma and somehow extricated Himself and then managed to unseal the tomb to escape. The presence and position of those wrappings give evidence to the fact that a miracle happened there! Jesus' body was resurrected from death and was transformed from the physical to the supernatural. On its own, profound grief puts the mind into shock, dulls clear thought, and numbs the senses. Only days before, Peter had experienced the crushing shame of denying Jesus, watched the horrific brutal death of the One he knew to be the Son of God, and then gone into hiding in fear of the Jewish leaders who had orchestrated that death. The misunderstood expectations and everything he had believed about the Kingdom of God had been shaken and shattered by that death. He and the other disciples had yet not understood the prophecies of Scripture or what Jesus had foretold to them about His resurrection, and they were not even thinking about that at this point. It was totally unexpected and bewildering to Peter when he saw the empty tomb. He was not yet ready to accept what seemed unbelievable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 I’m a simple Christian, not a Biblical scholar or a theologian so the fully intact grave clothes that were left in the tomb are proof enough for me that Christ Jesus did in-fact rise up though the funeral coverings and then left the tomb in His resurrected body. The fact that Peter “had a difficult time believing” is typical of, not just Peter, but of all the disciples’ failure to believe or understand the things that Jesus very plainly taught them. Despite the many lessons that He taught and the miracles that they had personally seen Jesus perform, they still couldn’t believe that He’d returned until after He had demonstrated to them that he wasn’t a ghost. I don’t believe there’s a clear answer as to why Peter (and the others) didn’t believe but I suppose it had something to do with simply being human. After all, miracles were one thing but actually rising from the grave was something altogether different. Like the disciples, we too are human and just like them we sometimes have a very hard time trying to figure out what the Lord’s doing in our own lives. Most of the time it’s only after an event has taken place in our lives that we are able to figure out why God had brought us to that point and that’s exactly what happened with the disciples after Christ’s ascension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted November 20, 2018 Report Share Posted November 20, 2018 I think that the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb means that Jesus got out of the grave clothes some way and didn’t disturb them. He had a new body and he could go through walls so I don’t think the getting out of the grave clothes was even a challenge. I think that it was difficult for Peter to believe that Jesus had risen because he took him as an ordinary man that had extra ordinary powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted July 20, 2019 Report Share Posted July 20, 2019 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? It shows that Jesus got out of them and his body was not stolen by the disciples like the officials have the Jews believing now. It shows that God in fact did raise him from the dead. I believe Peter thought Jesus was the Son of God but didn't realize what it entailed and what it meant for Jesus and his ministry as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Price Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 The position of the grave clothes in the tomb was to show that Jesus was not stolen or that the grave had not been robbed. It was a deliberate statement to show a miraculous miracle, not by man's hands, but by God. It fulfilled the prophecy. Peter is still learning who Jesus is and was. He had witnessed the physical Jesus and now is being introduced to the Spiritually Jesus. The things Jesus taught Peter and the disciples, they witness with their physical senses, but they as well as Peter were still living in the physical and did not understand the things of the Spiritual nature that Jesus spoke to them of and now that He is a spiritual being, they must believe in the spirit of Jesus as well as the physical Jesus that they have been walking with. Peter is still learning. He hasn't yet fully believed because he is still trying to comprehend with is mind and not his heart.. Now that Jesus has been risen and returns to the Father, the disciples lessons will be in spiritual teachings from the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to leave them, to help them understand and to continue on with their teachings and learning and with the spreading of the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisema Ralitsoele Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 Q2. (John 20:3-9) 1. What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? The significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes is that Jesus emerged from the clothes rather than the clothes being unwrapped from His body. When He was dead, Joseph and Nicodemus had to cover Him up with the clothes; but at Resurrection He just emerged like when He showed Himself to His disciples in a locked room without asking to have the door opened. 2. Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The resurrection was really too difficult an occurrence to mentally bring to realization after the gory death that Jesus had gone through. The drama beginning with the arrest, the trial and its humiliation, the sentence of crucifixion all coupled with the heavy sense of frustration at being unable to protect their beloved Rabbi is all that a natural mind could meditate on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted February 6, 2022 Report Share Posted February 6, 2022 Christ passed through these wrappings of linen that were solidified by these various spices that were applied during the embalming process. John readily believed at this moment in the tomb that Christ is truly the very Son of God...Peter and John both saw the same arrangement of funeral wrappings and the head cloth. Peter's understanding was clouded by his thrice denial of Christ and that he did not know the complete Bible records that Christ must rise from the dead. It took awhile for Peter to come "to see" that Jesus still loved him, and that Jesus is the Prince of Life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted November 3, 2022 Report Share Posted November 3, 2022 Q2. (John 20:3-9) What is the significance of the presence and position of the grave clothes in the tomb? Why do you think it was difficult at this time for Peter to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Just the fact that the grave clothes were lying there as if the body had just lifted out of them, proves that something supernatural had taken place. If the body would have been stolen the thieves would have taken the body together with the grave clothes. An interesting point has been mentioned about the face cloth. A msg can definitely be read there. I am coming back. It is important that the grave clothes are mentioned to be there because soon after this a message was spread that the body was stolen or that Jesus had not really died, but just been in a coma. He was still shrouded in grief and guilt. That it was true just seemed too amazingly good to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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