Was there any significance to why Jesus’s face covering was folded in the tomb?
John 20:7 tells us,
“And the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrapping but rolled up in a place by itself.”
The cloth was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that head cloth was neatly folded, and was neatly rolled at the head of that stony coffin.
In order to understand the folded cloth, we need to understand a little bit about the Hebrew tradition of that day.
A folded cloth napkin had to do with the master and the servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that 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, and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished. If the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, and his mouth, clean his beard, and would wad up the cloth and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. In those days, the wadded-up napkin meant, “I’m done.”
But if the master got up from the table, folded the cloth napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table because the servant knew the folded napkin meant, “I’m not finished yet.” Tjr folded cloth napkin meant, “I’m coming back!”
He (the master, Jesus) is coming back. Hallelujah!
From Pity to Praise 