Many stories in the American church are seeped with assumptions and repeated over and over; and this is one of those. Americans traditionally learn through academics but Hebrews believe learning is done through discovery. For this reason, their writings, including the Bible, are filled with imagery and meanings that are beyond direct and even direct historical.

What is the meaning of the folded napkin?

John is the only one to record the folded napkin. He's also the only one to specifically note that Messiah Y'shua died on a day before a High Sabbath, a High Day, and not the weekly Sabbath. There is a reason for John being so specific in some of these details. Johns goal with his Gospel was to convince people that Y'shua is the Messiah, Son of God, and Savior (John 20:30-31). In the pinpointing the proper Sabbath, he's showing that Y'shua was our Passover Lamb and this detail of the napkin is showing something as well.

During the Seder meal (Passover Meal), there is a stack of matzo (unleavened bread) with a napkin on top. The stack is three high and in the middle of the meal the head of the table will remove the center piece, break it, return a portion to the stack, and wrap the other portion in the napkin to be hidden away only to be found later in the meal by the children. That piece hidden is called the afikoman. For hundreds of years, the Hebrews had no clue as to what the meaning of this broken bread was. They speculated that was a symbol of redemption to come and they were partially correct.

When we read about the last Passover or Messiah Y'shua (Last Supper), He takes the bread and breaks it and explains the meaning of the broken matzo, it's His body. The afikoman was not hidden as the prophecy of this bread was about to be fulfilled. The body about to be broken for all humanity was about to be wrapped up and hidden away only to be found again and alive. Because it was normally hid, Messiah Y'shua had to instruct His disciples to eat it; and this is why these two words are recorded. It lets the Hebrew reader know there is something different taking place in this Seder meal.

After He gave them the bread, Messiah Y'shua picks up the third cup of wine and explains it is a symbol of His blood. This third cup is the cup of redemption.

Through the Last Supper, Messiah Y'shua explained the broken matzo and the cup of redemption as a prophecy of Himself, coming to redeem the world through His broken body and spilled blood.

When He rose from the dead, Y'shua made one last imagery of the link between the afikomen and Himself. The afikoman was not hidden away at the Last Supper, it was hidden quickly after, and when the children of God came looking for Him they found the afikoman napkin folded in its hiding spot.

In this thorough depiction of the napkin, the Hebrew readers of John, those who may be on the fence, see that Y'shua is the piece broken and hidden away to be found again later; and He is our redemption.