The Linen Cloth

April 18, 2025

To understand the significance of this object we need to understand that the Bible is God’s redemptive story from start to finish, which means the book of Matthew is a continuation of the Hebrew Bible.

In fact, all of life is a continuum from God’s perspective. Only He has the advantage of knowing the future. But it is our responsibility to know the past so we can prepare for the future as we consider our role in the present day.

The Linen Cloth is a bridge from the Old Covenant to the New.

It sounds like a delicate bridge, which it is, because it has been subject to centuries of being trampled down.

The Linen Cloth is not the shroud of Tourin, discovered in the 1300’s, but the one Jesus’ disciples found folded in his tomb.

“and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”  John 20:7

Apparently, John, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, saw the significance of that folded cloth and recorded it for posterity. He even chose a specific Greek word to identify it.

The word is soudarion and is the same word used in the parable of the minas and the three servants. The first two servants invested their minas, but the third one wrapped his in a linen cloth.

He was ignorant of the Master’s nature. I think there is another reason though. He was afraid of losing it.

The parable is about faith and trust, but this man saw only the value of the coin, so he wrapped it in costly material as not to damage it.

There are other Greek words for linen cloth in the New Testament, but this word was chosen for Jesus’ face, for the mina, and only once more in the gospels—for Lazarus after he died.

“…(he was) bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:44

These were three emotionally charged moments. The most significant is the one I call the bridge. The other two are indicators to how much value this folded linen cloth has in the redemption story.

Good Friday is considered by many Christians to be the night of Jesus’ last supper. Fewer Christians are familiar with the Seder meal, which Jesus was eating on the first night of Passover.

Very little is known about the Seder and its deep significance both in the Jewish world and the Christian. As Jewish followers of Jesus, we celebrate much the same as our Jewish brothers have celebrated for 19 centuries with one major distinction, Jesus became our Passover lamb because it was on Passover that He was crucified. It was the same day that thousands of spotless lambs were sacrificed in Jerusalem.

Passover was the night that Jews everywhere celebrated their freedom from four centuries of Egyptian slavery 3500 years ago.

During the Passover many traditions are symbolic and date back that far, but some were added to the Seder during the first century.

The Afikomen is one of them.

In the beginning of the Seder the head of the household picks up a linen cloth in which three pieces of Matzah are wrapped together.

He unfolds the cloth, pulls out the middle piece and breaks it in half. While the children close their eyes, he hides the folded linen cloth with the valuable broken piece inside.*

Then the Seder proceeds as the story of the Exodus is retold.

After supper, the kids search for the Afikomen and are given some money or candy in exchange for their find. The Seder cannot continue until it is returned. It is bought for a price.

At that point in Jesus meal, He lifted the matzah and said to His disciples, “This is my body broken for you.”

He then lifted the third cup, called the cup of Redemption or the Cup of Blessing, gave thanks and said, “This is the blood of the covenant poured out for many…”

Seders are designed to promote discussion and ask questions for the sake of the children. But one question that was never brought up in my childhood or any other Jewish home that I know of is,

“What is the Afikomen all about?”

Now for a concise history lesson.

The first century was an especially dangerous time to be a Jew.

The Romans were fed up with their unwillingness to comply with Roman law and submit to their pagan idolatry as did other nations. About 37 years after Jesus rose from the dead, Rome destroyed the Temple and within another 60 years Jerusalem was burnt to the ground. By the end of the first century a million Jews were murdered so many that they ran out of crucifixes and trees to cut down.

As Jesus predicted, their flight from Israel was a dangerous one for they were not welcome in the land of the Gentiles to which they fled.

It appeared that Jewish life had come to an end and the survival of their race was at risk, which would be blasphemy to the God whom they served because He promised they would be an eternal people.

Although the Jews were very divided amongst themselves, they miraculously came together to find a solution that would prevent their extinction.

They agreed on three major points. Retain the Hebrew language, keep the Sabbath and celebrate the Feasts, especially the Passover.

The Passover became their focus because it was a family affair and included written material.

Though the believing Jews were persecuted in Israel, the Galut (exile) caused the Pharisees to see the need to unite. They shared ideas as they gathered to consider what to include in a Seder. The Afikomen was due to the growing Messianic influence.

They did not have to publicly describe the symbolism, but to the Jewish believer it was evident.

Look at a piece of matzah and you will see it is striped, pierced, and unleavened. It is charred to resemble bruising. These markers come directly from Isaiah 53. It is also made without yeast, which represents sin or hypocrisy.  

But what about the linen cloth?

The three pieces are wrapped in one cloth, representing the tri-une nature of One God. The middle piece, which represents the Son, is removed and broken. It is then wrapped in linen and hidden for a period of time. For it to return it must be bought with a price which only Jesus could pay.

When it returns to the table the cloth is unfolded, and the middle piece becomes the last food item eaten. It is also the piece that Jesus used to institute the New Covenant.

At that point in history the covenant that the Jewish people kept for centuries became available to whomsoever would believe. And the last supper became the Christian communion celebrated ever since.

If only the story ended there and believing Jews and Gentiles celebrated together. In Israel it is that way. Jews and Gentiles make up the Messianic Community. They are the people we support to bring the Gospel to their people. As that number grows, the Gospel will proceed out of Zion and into the nations as God intended.

Will you consider being a part of that group of Jesus lovers and retain His message of brotherly love between those long separated?

There is no better time to decide than now and continue the redemption story to the finish line.

*long term controversy among Jews as to who hides it and who searches