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Naked Linen-man Lost His Cloth.
By William Van Zyl
Published 6 April 2025.
In the moonlit Garden of Gethsemane, the air was thick with tension. Jesus stood resolute, surrounded by soldiers ready to arrest Him. Judas had just kissed Him.
Yeshua uttered the words:
“I am.”
AI-IMAGE: The Words “I AM,” rendered in bold, uppercase lettering, journey into the depths of an ancient, rock-hewn tomb nestled within a serene garden. The tomb’s entrance is partially obscured by overgrown ivy, creating a sense of mystery. The scene is rendered visually appealing, focusing on intricate details of the stonework and the play of light and shadow within the tomb. The overall colour palette is earthy, incorporating muted greens, browns, and greys, with subtle hints of gold illuminating the lettering. Credit: Canva (created 6 April 2025).
A wave of divine power surged from Him, causing the soldiers to stumble backwards and fall to the ground.
Unbeknownst to them, the force of His words travelled beyond the garden, penetrating the silence of a nearby tomb. Inside, the lifeless body of a young man lay wrapped in a linen cloth, a sindōn. The words “I Am” reached into the tomb, infusing the corpse with a surge of life. The young man gasped, his eyes fluttering open as he was miraculously and accidentally resurrected.
Confusion and awe filled his mind as he stumbled out of the tomb, the linen cloth still clinging to him. “Who is this man?” he wondered. “Why is there such a commotion? Why am I alive? Why was I sent back from Hades to Earth?”
Drawn by an inexplicable force, he followed the sounds of the garden. He saw Jesus, the man whose words had brought him back to life. Determined to understand the miracle of his resurrection, he tried to get closer to Him.
The soldiers, noticing the young man approaching, moved to seize him. As they grabbed the linen cloth, he slipped out of it and ran off naked, leaving the fabric behind. The soldiers, puzzled, picked up the discarded linen and immediately recognised it as a burial shroud. The familiar scent of death clung to it, and they recoiled in disgust.
“This is a sindōn,” they muttered in Greek, “How disgusting, it is a death shroud!”
The next day, someone discovered the linen cloth in the garden. They noticed an imprint of the young man’s body on the fabric as they examined it. “Hey, someone left a linen shroud imprinted in the Garden of Gethsemane! Look at the imprint on the linen cloth. How did the image get onto the shroud?”
The young man, now a living witness to the power of Jesus’ words, continued his quest to understand the miracle that had brought him back to life. His mind raced with questions: “Who is this man Jesus? Why did His words bring me back to life? What is my purpose now?”
As he journeyed, he encountered others touched by Jesus’ miracles. Each story added a piece to the puzzle, deepening his understanding of the Man who had resurrected him. The young man realised that Jesus was not just a man but the embodiment of divine power and love.
His Words,
“I am the Resurrection and the Life,”
were not just a declaration but a living truth that had brought him back from the dead.
With a newfound sense of purpose, the young man dedicated his life to following Jesus, sharing his story with all who would listen. He became a testament to the transformative power of Jesus’ words, a living proof that even in the darkest moments, there is hope and life in the name of Jesus. He also told them about the afterlife and shared his experiences of the Abode of the Dead, from which he had returned.
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This AI image portrays a young man, appearing deceased but sitting upright, within an old, rough-hewn rock tomb in the Garden of Gethsemane. His lower body is draped with a simple linen cloth. The scene is set during Biblical times, rendered in a visually appealing style with warm, earthy tones, emphasising the textures of the stone and the fabric. The lighting is soft and dramatic, highlighting the young man’s pose. Credit: Canva (created on 6 April 2025).
Read verses 51 and 52, The naked man ………………
Mark 14: 48 – 52 NIV
48Jesus asked the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw?
49Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts,j and you did not arrest Me. But this has happened that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”
50Then everyone deserted Him and fled.
51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him,
52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
This is my account of what I think happened that night in the garden.
In the introduction of this article, I endeavour to make sense of the young man in the sindōn. Note that the same word sindōn (death-shroud or burial-shroud) is used in the Bible for the young man’s shroud and the shroud of Jesus at his burial. Isn’t that interesting?
Rick Renner, a Pastor and Bible scholar you can trust, said in the program, ‘Joni Table Talk’ on Saturday, 5 April 2025, that one of the soldiers could also have touched the dead young man. I will explain after the Elisha statement.
Let’s go back to the Old Testament. Remember how a dead body touched Elisha’s bones in the Bible? The dead person was resurrected. I have included the account below.
In 2 Kings 13:20-21, we find a remarkable account of a resurrection associated with Elisha’s bones:
Description: After Elisha had died and was buried, a group of Israelites were burying a man when they saw a band of raiders approaching. In their haste, they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man returned to life and stood up.
The Bible Verse: 2 Kings 13:20-21, ESV
“So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now, bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen, and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha. And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.”
This story highlights the enduring power of God’s miracles, even after the prophet’s death.
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In the Gospels, Jesus makes the “I Am” statements seven times, specifically in the Gospel of John. These statements are significant as they reveal different aspects of His identity and mission. Here are the seven “I Am” statements:
- I am the bread of life (John 6:35)
- I am the light of the world (John 8:12)
- I am the door (John 10:9)
- I am the good shepherd (John 10:11)
- I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
- I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
- I am the true vine (John 15:1)
These statements highlight Jesus’ divine nature and His role in providing spiritual sustenance, guidance, and salvation.
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I have done some research for you. As Christians, we will have different thoughts about this event, especially regarding Yeshua’s words reviving the young man. Which one do you favour? I will tell you at the end which one I have placed in my heart. It made my faith soar. However, here are some explanations.
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The story of the young man who followed Jesus and then ran off naked in Mark 14:51-52 has intrigued scholars and theologians for centuries. Here are some of the different interpretations of this event. Which one do you favour?
- Symbol of Abandonment:
- This interpretation suggests that the young man’s flight symbolises Jesus’s complete abandonment by His followers. Like the other disciples, the young man fled in fear, leaving Jesus to face His arrest alone.
- Mark’s Personal Account:
- Some scholars propose that the young man could be Mark himself, including this personal detail as an eyewitness account. This theory is based on the unique inclusion of this event in Mark’s Gospel.
- Illustration of Human Frailty:
- The young man’s nakedness and flight represent human vulnerability and frailty. His swift departure contrasts Jesus’ steadfastness with the disciples’ fear and weakness.
- Symbolic of Spiritual Nakedness:
- Nakedness in the Bible often symbolises exposure and shame. The young man’s naked flight could represent the spiritual nakedness and shame of humanity without God’s covering.
- Foreshadowing of Resurrection Imagery:
- The linen cloth (sindōn) left behind by the young man is the same term used for Jesus’ burial cloth. This connection might foreshadow the resurrection when Jesus’ burial cloth is found in the empty tomb.
- Contrast to Jesus’ Resolve:
- The young man’s flight contrasts sharply with Jesus’ resolve to face His arrest and crucifixion. This highlights Jesus’ commitment to His mission and the human tendency to flee from danger.
And now, I add two more interpretations:
7. The Power of His Word: The Word “I Am” can bring life to any dead person. Physical or spiritual. Isn’t that amazing? Have you been “resurrected” by His Word? My testimony: “I came back from the dead; I was born again. I was baptised – the old person died – and ‘I am a new creation.’ ”
8. The Power of the Touch of His Anointing: One of the several soldiers who wanted to arrest Jesus was slain by the powerful words, “I Am.” The specific soldier—just like several other soldiers went backwards—while going backwards, one possibly fell into the young man’s tomb, touching the decaying body and the bones of the deceased young man. Like in Elijah’s case, the power that flowed from Yeshua through the soldier “changed” the young man’s life. What an amazing scenario!
John 18:6
In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus said, “I am he” in response to the soldiers’ question, they “drew back and fell to the ground”. This is recorded in John 18:6.
These interpretations offer various perspectives on the significance of this brief but vivid episode in the Gospel of Mark. Each interpretation adds depth to our understanding of the narrative and its theological implications.
Now, I will share what I believe regarding this story.
The “Words” of the “Great I Am” has revived me.
At the age of 24, desperate, having reached the end of my tether, I said:
“Jesus, help me. I can’t go on like this any more. Please save me. Wash me with your precious blood. Cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. Come into my heart and live inside of me. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”
When I said those words, my spirit man was resurrected. My spirit man was translated from the darkness to light, from death to life.
Jesus heard me. His Word, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life,” did the work.
I believe that when Jesus said in the garden, “I Am,” as documented in Mark 14, the young man’s dead body had to respond to His Word.
It was an accidental resurrection!
You can respond to His Word if you are dead in your sins.
In Matthew 11:28, Yeshua says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Copyright © 2025 by William Van Zyl
Naked Linen-man Lost His Cloth.
All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, April 2025
More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/
More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/
You’ve broken this down so clearly, I appreciate it.
Jason, you are welcome. Thanks for your encouraging feedback. William Van Zyl