Have you given much thought to the burial shroud of Jesus? I have and this post is built on those thoughts.
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| Image of Yeshua on the burial Shroud of Turin. |
Hebrews 12.2 -- "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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| Actual image beside a photo-negative of the burial shroud |
John 1 (NIV) -- The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
As the incarnate light of the world, Jesus revealed God's nature and will to humanity. He brought spiritual illumination, exposing darkness and sin while offering salvation and eternal life.
The Full Light Is Too Bright for Us to See
Exodus 33:18-23
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
Then the Lord said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Torah Sages say the "The light that was created on the first day shone from one end of Creation to the other". Or, in the language of Kabbala, "In the beginning, an infinite, uncompounded light filled all of Creation." This is the light of Chesed חֶסֶד which permeates all of Creation and through which all of Creation is built."
The Transfiguration of Jesus
Luke 9:29-31 -- "As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem."
During the "Transfiguration," Jesus is seen as a pure light. This miracle is considered a pivotal moment in which Jesus revealed His divine nature and glory to the disciples. As they came down the mountain, Jesus instructed the disciples not to tell anyone about what they had seen until after he had risen from the dead.
In my humble opinion, what the disciples witnessed relates to and foreshadows the miracle of the burial shroud of Jesus, more often referred to as the Shroud of Turin.
The burial shroud is a nested miracle, in other words "a miracle within a miracle." The miracle of the Shroud's creation reveals the miracle of Jesus's resurrection and proves without a shadow of doubt the details of the crucifixion as explained in the Bible.
The Light of Torah
Proverbs 6:23 -- "The commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light"
The Children of Israel didn't walk in darkness in the wilderness. In the Torah, God's divine presence, known as the Shekinah, guides Moses and the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The Shekinah represented God's glory.
For the Jew, the "Light" is synonymous with the Torah. As Proverbs 6.23 states, the Torah is considered spiritual light that illuminates the soul and provides guidance.
The Torah is considered to contain a supernal (heavenly), holy light from the upper spiritual realms. When one studies Torah, this light enters their soul. Studying Torah is said to give forth light, enlightening one's path in life and helping bring light to others.
The light of Torah represents absolute truth. Like the speed of light which is constant, Torah truth is viewed as timeless and universal. The spiritual light of Torah is connected to the physical light created on the first day of Creation. This primordial light, called Ohr Ha-Ganuz ("the Hidden Light"), introduced unity and purpose into the universe.
Torah study is seen as a way to reveal divine light and wisdom in the world. As the Midrash states, "Those who study Torah give forth light wherever they are."
Isaiah 60:1-2 TLV
Arise, shine, for your light has come! The glory of ADONAI has risen on you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness the peoples. But ADONAI will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.
Jesus is the Light
John 8:12 --"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus came to be the light of the world in human form, as described in the Gospel of John. The apostle John introduces Jesus as "the true light that gives light to everyone" who was "coming into the world" (John 1:9).
John emphasizes that Jesus, as the eternal Word of God, "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14), meaning God took on human nature in the person of Yeshua, allowing people to directly encounter God's glory, grace and truth in human form.
While Jesus claimed to be the light, he emphasized that his purpose was not to do away with the Law and the Prophets, but rather to bring them to completion and establish their full meaning. He affirmed the enduring nature of God's Word, saying that not even the smallest detail of the Law would disappear until everything is accomplished. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:17 -- "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." He came to be the perfecter of faith.
The Power of the Light to Convert
These verses describe the sudden appearance of a bright light from heaven as Saul approached Damascus, causing him to fall to the ground and temporarily lose his sight. This dramatic encounter marked the beginning of Saul's conversion experience.
Acts 9:3-4 -- "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'"
Acts 9:8-9 -- "Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank."
The Testimony of the Shroud
There have been many attempts to discredit the alleged burial cloth that wrapped Jesus, better known as "the Shroud of Turin." Those efforts, For example, the erroneous carbon dating, have been debunked. (Think about it -- Who would have an interest in discrediting the Shroud?)
The Shroud accurately documents every detail of Jesus's torturous death including being beaten with clubs, then scourged, having a crown of thorns pressed into his head, carrying His cross beam up the hill at Calvary and being nailed to it. His excruciating* painful struggle to breathe and the piercing that proved he had given up his life without the Roman soldiers breaking his legs are all recorded on the Shroud.
* Did you know the word "excruciating" derived in the late 16th century from Latin excruciat- ‘tormented’, from the verb excruciare (based on crux, cruc- ‘a cross’).
The Shroud even provides the forensic means to calculate Jesus's time on the cross and in the tomb where his body did not decompose.
The Shroud gives us a true and accurate picture of Jesus's face, his body and the suffering he endured as a man, but it was literally recorded for the world to see by his resurrection. In other words, the Shroud is a miracle performed by Jesus. I will attempt to explain.
The image on the burial Shroud has many puzzling yet profoundly significant characteristics:
- There is a double image on front and back, but not in the middle
- The image is only on the uppermost surface of the fibers. The cellulose structure of the fibers was not affected by the image formation process. Nor was there damage that would have been caused from removing a bloody garment from a body. There is no indication of bodily decay.
- The image contains three-dimensional information about the body it covered, which is highly unusual for images on fabric
- It has x-ray like properties showing internal body structures
- The image is precise down to the microscopic fiber level, with only the topmost fibers of threads showing coloration. So the blood did not soak through as you might expect for the image on the reverse side.
- Exhaustive testing has shown that no pigments, paints, dyes or stains were found to explain the image formation. There are no signs of fluid application or cemented fibers that would indicate the use of liquids to create the image.
- The blood stains contain heme and are not damaged by the image formation process, indicating the image formed after the blood stains. (Heme in blood is responsible for it's red color. Otherwise dried blood would appear brown.)
- The blood on the cloth is high in bilirubin, consistent with a body that has undergone severe trauma or torture.
- The blood deposits on the cloth appear undisturbed, suggesting the body disappeared without physically moving the cloth
- It shows the whole body, even areas that didn't contact the cloth
- Microscopic deposits of extremely rare soil found in Jerusalem at Calvary were detected on the Shroud at the image's feet, knees, and nose. (Jesus fell on his knees and face while carrying the cross.)
- Microscopic deposits of flower pollen from plants native to the Jerusalem area and which bloom in March to early April when the crucifixion would have taken place were found on the cloth.
- There are dozens of other incredible details about the Shroud - the volume of evidence is overwhelming proof of its miraculous and accurate nature! More details.
Scientific studies have been unable to explain how the image was formed. Once you know the facts, the notion that the Shroud was forged is completely inconceivable!
Some researchers propose the Shroud image was created by an intense burst of Vacuum Ultraviolet light at the moment of Jesus's resurrection. I will tangent for a few paragraphs to explain this theory because I think it amplifies one's appreciation of the miracle.
According to the experts, the burst of light to produce the image on the Shroud would require the equivalent output of 14,000 excimer lasers* emitted from every three-dimensional point of the body wrapped in the Shroud.
Even ordinary levels of UV radiation cause significant degradation of materials, yet the Shroud is amazingly intact. Plus, because of the heat energy associated with such intense radiation, the cloth would have vaporized in less than 1/40 billionth of a second.
*Excimer lasers are used in photolithography, semiconductor manufacturing and Eye surgery (e.g., LASIK) and nuclear fusion research. An excimer laser emits a pulse of an energized state of ultraviolet light using a combination of noble gases (like argon, krypton, or xenon) and reactive gases (like fluorine or chlorine). The pulses of an excimer laser is a nanosecond in time.
The total radiation power needed to color a linen surface corresponding to a human body is described as "impossible" even today. The amount of energy hypothesized to have created the image on the Shroud of Turin is 34 trillion watts (34,000 billion watts) of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. This exceeds the maximum output of any known UV radiation source today. The electricity needed to generate such burst is several times the total electricity generation capacity of the United States.
There is no known mechanism by which a human body could produce the Shroud. Obviously the technology to produce the image on the Shroud did not exist 2000 years ago, let alone today. No medieval forgery techniques could have possibly created the Shroud!
Simply put, the Shroud is impossible for man to produce!
The "phenomenon" of the Shroud has left atheists researchers and scientists, including some that are Jewish, to suggest a possible supernatural origin, perhaps related to Jesus's resurrection. One of the world's leading experts on the photographic team studying the Shroud is a religious Jew whose findings completely convinced him that the Shroud is an authentic miracle.
The fact that the Shroud even exists today is incredible. The image survived a fire in 1532 without significant degradation. The custody of the Shroud is a remarkable story in itself.
Facts Revealed by the Shroud
The Shroud image contains 3D information about the body it covered that is highly unusual for images on fabric. This factual evidence testifies to details of the crucifixion in the bible. For example:
- The cloth shows dumbbell-shaped bruises matching the flagrums (whips) used by Romans. The image shows that Jesus was whipped 120 time by two men from opposite directions. We can even tell the height of the men doing the whipping.
- The image shows nail marks in the wrists and ankles, consistent with archaeological evidence of Roman crucifixion methods, rather than medieval depictions.
- The image shows anatomical and physiological details that were unknown in medieval times, as confirmed by forensic pathologists.
- There are dozens of other details documented by the Shroud, ALL of which are consistent with the Bible!
For a Time Such as This
Daniel 12:4 -- "But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
"Who do you say that I am?" -- In the first image on the left is how the Shroud of Turin looks with the naked eye. To the right of that is the Shroud's Holy Face, revealed when photographed for the first time in 1898.
In this next photo is the front view of the Shroud's photo-negative image, also discovered in 1898 when the Shroud was photographed for the first time. The image appears between marks from a 1532 fire that miraculously did not destroy the cloth.
Fix your eyes on ... the one who told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in John 4 26, “I who speak to you am he.”
Now get this....
This is a negative -- the actual face "revealed" is the positive, the real face.
It gets better....
That first photograph that revealed the face in a negative image was taken on May 28 1898. That date converts to the 7th of Sivan in that year. The 7th of Sivan is the date when the Torah was given to Moses on Sinai -- it is Pentecost! It is also the same date that Moses was drawn out of the water at 3 months old and thus given the name Moshe.
Time will reveal more...
The Shroud remains a subject of intense debate and study, with new findings continuing to emerge. This ongoing research and discussion could be seen as part of a broader increase in knowledge and understanding predicted for the end-times.
Recent studies have challenged previous dating of the Shroud, reopening questions about its authenticity and age. This evolving understanding fits with the idea of knowledge increasing over time.
The extraordinary three-dimensional image and properties of the Shroud continues to puzzle scientists. Some see this as evidence of its divine origin becoming clearer as technology advances.
While scientific knowledge about the Shroud has increased, its ultimate origins and nature remain a matter of faith for many. The interplay between faith and science in studying the Shroud could be seen as relevant to end-times expectations.
It is important to note that despite the scientific analysis of the Shroud made possible relatively recently in our lifetime, there is still no known means to recreate the Shroud even today.
The Sign of Jonah
Matthew 12: 38-40 -- Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But he replied to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
Luke 11:29-32 -- the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.
Two key Jewish figures emerge in the New Testament, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, to play a crucial role in the burial of Jesus.
No doubt they were both aware that Jewish leaders who were seeking a sign that Jesus was the Messiah were told that the "sign of Jonah" is the only sign they'd be given. Jesus told them "so also will the Son of Man be to this generation." Jesus was pointing them to the cross -- his death and resurrection.
Joseph of Arimathea:
- He was a rich man and a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish council)
- He was a secret disciple of Jesus
- He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body
- He took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth
- He placed Jesus' body in an used rock tomb
- He rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb
Nicodemus:
Nicodemus was also a wealthy and respected Jewish leader. He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus's body for burial and helped Joseph wrap Jesus' body in the fine linen Shroud.
Nicodemus is known from the Gospels for going to Jesus at night. He believed Jesus was of God because of the miracles Jesus performed.
His experience is related in the Gospel of John where Jesus tells John in Versus 3.3, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." Jesus revealed to John that he was the Son of God in the famous verse , "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3.16
Is it possible that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were motivated to be witnesses to Jesus fulfilling prophecy? Were they alerted to pay close attention to the events surrounding his death and burial? In doing so, it could be said that "the sign of Jonah" exists today, visa via the Shroud, for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.
As educated Jewish leaders, Joseph and Nicodemus would have been familiar with messianic prophecies and may have recognized how Jesus's life and death aligned with these predictions. Their careful preparation and burial of Jesus's body provides evidence that Jesus had truly died, which is important for establishing the reality of his later resurrection.
The involvement of these two prominent Jewish leaders in Jesus's burial was crucial for fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9). They ensured Jesus received an honorable burial, rather than the dishonorable treatment usually given to crucified criminals.
Their actions demonstrated courage, as they risked their reputations by associating with Jesus. As a result of the burial these two Jewish leaders provided an important part of the gospel narrative, bridging Jesus's death and resurrection as documented by the Shroud.
Furthermore, they willingly made contact with Jesus's dead body, thereby making themselves impure and unable to participate in the Passover ceremony which coincided with the crucifixion.
Jesus Thought Ahead -- Jesus Orchestrated Events Supernaturally
Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 21:2 -- "Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me." We find this episode in the Gospels so intriguing because it is an obvious example of Jesus orchestrating events according to prophecy. We also know that it is amazing that the donkey was there and it's owner willingly gave it up. What does this have to do with the Shroud you might wonder. Let me explain.
I believe that by preparing Jesus's dead body and placing him in the rich man's tomb, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, were part of Jesus's plan from before his death, similar to the donkey.
When Jesus told the Jewish leaders who came for a sign that he was the Messiah that "none will be given it except the sign of Jonah," Joseph and Nicodemus understood. In effect, Jesus was planning his burial.
Jesus knew what happened to the bodies of crucified men. Generally, the Romans left crucified bodies on the cross to decompose and be eaten by birds and animals. This was part of the humiliation and deterrent effect of crucifixion.
Without specific instructions, crucified bodies would typically be removed by Roman soldiers and dumped in a nearby valley called Himnon, along with other trash.
Neither of these methods of disposing of Jesus's dead body would do! Jesus needed to be buried in a new tomb.
Jews considered unburied bodies to be a violation of religious law, particularly in Jerusalem and during Passover. The Romans were aware of this sensitivity. In some cases, crucified bodies could be given to family members or others for burial if permission was requested from the Roman governor. But Jesus's "family," his disciples abandoned him at the cross. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus's disciples abandoned Him at the time of His arrest and crucifixion. Mark 14:50 states, "Then everyone deserted Him and fled". This desertion was prophesied by Jesus, who said, "I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" (Matthew 26:31)
This means that if not for two prominent Jewish leaders, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Jesus's body would not have been in a tomb and wrapped in a burial shroud.
What I am saying it that Jesus made arrangements for his burial according to prophecy. Like the donkey in Matthew 21.2, Jesus made arrangements for his body to be cared for in a specific way in order to fulfill prophecy.
Perfecter of our Faith
Nahum 1:15 says:"Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off."
Hebrews 12.2 -- fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Greek word translated as "perfecter" means "completer" or "finisher." A "perfector" is one who "perfects." A "perfector" is also a special kind of printing press that prints on both sides of a document at the same time! Jesus was pressed and his blood was the ink. The Shroud was printed by the Perfector!
In essence, the Shroud is a personal love letter published by Jesus written with his blood made possible by the Light of God.
The Shroud testifies to Jesus's death, burial and resurrection. The Shroud is miraculous proof of Jesus's fulfillment of prophecy. As we fix our eyes on Him, He perfects our faith.
Hebrew doesn't have future and past tenses like most languages. Hebrew tenses work differently from languages like English. The Hebrew verbal system is based on three main tenses:
- Perfect - Past
- Participle - Present
- Imperfect - Future
In Hebrew, the "perfect tense" is used primarily for past actions, but it can also be used to express completed actions in the present or future. It speaks to a "state of being" -- a complete or perfect state. Jesus perfects our faith.
Acts 13:28-35
Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my son; today I have become your father.'
God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David. So it is also stated elsewhere: You will not let your holy one see decay.
In conclusion I want to pose three questions.
1. If one believes the Shroud is an authentic miracle that reveals Jesus's suffering, death and resurrection, what are the implications?
2. Could the Shroud be a sign, planned in advance and purposely created by Jesus?
3. Is the Shroud the "Sign of Jonah" -- the lasting miraculous proof of his death, burial and resurrection?
I believe the Shroud is Yeshua's own testimony of the gospel written in the "blood of the Lamb." Do we need another to come to faith?
Now consider how Paul asked this similar question in Romans 9:22–24 (ESV):
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Fix your eyes on Jesus -- the Perfector of faith.
Hebrews 5:7-9 -- who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
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Epilogue: Lest anyone think otherwise, let me be clear on this. The Shroud is not an idol to be worshipped. It is a miraculous artifact. We don't worship the paper and binding of a bible. We read the words -- the testimony. The Shroud is testimony.
Luke 4:28-30 --
28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
LIKE Jesus passed through the Shroud.
Check out a blog post I wrote in December 2023 that started me thinking about God's
Glory, His Light.
I pray you will read my other blog posts --
