Lots of Info in that Empty Tomb

     There is an enormous wealth of Information in the Bible about the Empty Tomb. Important Information about what was there and also about what wasn't.
     I recent years a lot of talk has been squandered and wasted about a Burial Shroud. Forget any Shroud. They were not used in Jesus' time. Jews at the time of Jesus almost universally buried their dead as their ancestors did while captive in Egypt: Wrapped in strips of cloth and preserved with spices and oils. How do we know, because the burial of Jesus' friend Lazarus and his return to the Living, describes most of the details?
     The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
John 12:17

     There is a reason there is so much detail about the resurrection of Lazarus. It is so we can better understand the resurrection of Jesus. There is a reason Jesus waited so long before his journey to the Home of Lazarus. There is a reason Jesus waited the exact length of time He did before calling Lazarus from his Tomb. Remember, every detail in the Bible is there for a reason. So we can understand God's Providential Wisdom, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Grace.
    

Christ raises Lazarus, four days after his burial

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2  that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

John 11:1-7

     Note that Jesus Knew the exact condition of his Friend Lazarus. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick before Mary and Martha send word to Him. Jesus also knew exactly when Lazarus had died, because as God, Jesus was both there and with Lazarus in Spirit. Jesus waited two days before starting His journey to the home of his Best Friend. It puzzled his disciples, it puzzled Martha and Mary, but not Jesus, he had a Plan for this occurrence long before the foundation of the world itself. As always, though Martha and Mary thought Jesus was 4 days late, Jesus was right on time.
    
     "Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."
John 11:21-27

     Martha knew that her Brother would rise again in the final resurrection, but she didn't understand that Jesus had prepared a Miracle so all of us could better understand the Love and the Power of God. We see clearly how much Jesus really Loved Lazarus as an individual and how Jesus is truly our Best Friend. It was evident to all how much Jesus cared, because "Jesus wept". The shortest verse in the Bible, yet one of the very most important.
     We see that there was no Burial Shroud from the description of Lazarus trying to free himself from the burial cloths. He was tightly wrapped from head to foot, and a Napkin, probably his own Prayer Shawl still wrapped around his head. He couldn't see, he couldn't get lose from the multiple cloths wrapped around his legs, arms and body, yet he was trying to come forth as his Master had commanded.
     Later at Jesus' Tomb Peter and John also found Jesus' burial cloths. But these were different; still wrapped tightly in the shape of a man, Jesus had risen right through the fabric leaving the cloths undisturbed. No doubt the spices made the cloths stiff and appear as what we would call a mummy shape. Yet Jesus' Prayer Shawl, referred to as a napkin, was folded neatly in another place. A sign of completion.
     No there was a true wealth of information in an almost empty tomb. An undisturbed mass of cloths still wrapped around a missing Body, and in another place someone, some Rabbi, had folded a Prayer Shawl. Jesus' Prayer Shawl. That is all that was there, but that is more Miracle than most of the world today understands. Jesus came through the cloth, through the stone before it was rolled away. Jesus had already journeyed through Hell and carried Paradise away before the Disciples knelt and looked in the tomb. The First Fruit of the Resurrection had already led captivity (the Old Testament Saints) to their new Heavenly Home. He conquered Death, Hell and the Grave quite literally. Amazing Grace in Action.