CFNN Reporter: Brianna Keen

On Tuesday morning, I led the devotion on the significance of the folded face cloth in John 20:3-10. “So Peter went out with the other disciple. And they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.”

This ties back to an old Hebrew tradition, which focuses on a servant and his master. While the master was eating his meal, the servant would stand back out of sight and wait until the master was finished with his meal. The servant would not dare touch the table until the master was completely finished. The master would signal he was done by crumpling up the napkin and tossing it onto the table. However, if the master was not yet finished, he would fold the napkin and place it on the table. This displayed that the master would come back to finish it for good. 

Everything has purpose and intent in the bible. By understanding this cultural practice, we can understand that there is a bigger message at play here. Jesus will be back, and God is not finished yet. Yes, Jesus said “it is finished” when on the cross, but He was finished with that plan. He had been born in flesh, lived a perfect life, spread the gospel, went to the cross willingly taking on your sin and mine, died on that wretched tree, and raised from the dead three days later, conquering the punishment of sin for us. That plan was completed. However, there is one more plan that has yet to be finished. The master has folded His cloth, showing us that He is not yet finished. He will come again one day. We do not know the hour or the day, not even Jesus knows. But what we do know is this: there will be a day when those trumpets sound. The things of the world will not matter at that moment. So quickly, everything you’ve worked so hard to preserve and gather here on this earth will be gone as quickly as a flame is blown out by a breath. So what really matters? Relationship with Jesus Christ. Do not take fear in this coming plan, but rather rejoice in God’s sovereignty and that He offers you a seat at His table. 

On Thursday, Coach Britt led the devotion on “muscle memory.” The verses read were Psalm 119:9-12, Psalm 119:105, and Isaiah 41:10.The focus was about how we often have muscle memory for our sports, our jobs, etc. However, do we have muscle memory when it comes to the word of God? Are we quick to combat words of anxiety and fear with the voice of the Lord? Think about when Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan: He combated Satan’s deceiving words with scripture. I think so easily we take for granted that the Lord above all has given us the incredible gift of His word. As believers, we need His word to sustain us and our relationship with Him. You are the only thing holding yourself back from being immersed in God’s good word. I often justify my ignoring Him by saying I have “other things to do.” But let’s be honest, there is nothing better that I could do then open that bible on my nightstand and speak with the Lord. We need to realize that there is simply nothing better than the Lord and His presence. We have access to a book that was written to life and influenced by God and His Holy Spirit. So take advantage of that! We would be silly not to. 

Thank you for reading and remember to pick up your cross daily!