He bent down and looked in at the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he didn’t enter in.And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths lying; yet entered he not in.
4 sermons cite this verse
… but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Check. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb, he saw the linen clothes 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. Now, can we just pause for a moment at that little key? I think a lot of times we're just going to go right by this gospel account. So they looked in the tomb. Peter ran into the tomb. They saw the linen cloth that had wrapped the body of Jesus on the ground and then nicely folded on the shelf by itself the piece of cloth that had gone around Jesus' head. What in the world is that about? I think that's God's gift to the investigating mind. Easter is the most significant event in the history of the world. …
… John's very big on telling everybody that he's the faster of the two. And he, stooping down, looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. This is important, everyone. And the handkerchief that had been around his head, Jesus' head, not lined with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. For as yet they did not know the scripture, or they were not understanding, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples were to wake into their own homes. And verse 11 says, But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels who might see on the head of the earth and the feet, for I, Jesus, her name. In verse 13 ends with it saying, then they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Father, again, speak to us out of your precious word. What a day in history. …
… So anyway, they get there, stooping to look in. John 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. Well, that's interesting. Three times there's a focus on what kind of cloth? linen cloths. It's like John's trying to tell us something, and he specifically tells us they're folded up. Why? Why is he? It would have been sufficient to tell us Jesus died and rose again. John's telling us Jesus died, rose again, and he made his bed. Why is he telling us this? Well, I'm glad you asked. Look, a couple of verses later, we read, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. And as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. Get the picture. You got two angels flanking this scene with linen cloths nicely folded up and left between them. Does that sound familiar? Remember when the priest on the day of atonement would put on linen clothes, would go into the center of the tabernacle where the mercy seat was with two angels, one on each side, and the priest would offer the sacrifice, and then he would leave those clothes there, change into …
The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who 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 returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they've laid him. …