Is the Shroud of Turin Jesus' Actual Burial Cloth?
The Shroud of Turin has been a topic of fascination and controversy for some time. Is it really the cloth that wrapped Jesus after His crucifixion? Does it really retain the image of Jesus? I recently had the privilege of sitting down with New Testament scholar Dr. Jeremiah Johnston to talk about this on my podcast. He provided a compelling case for why the Shroud of Turin is indeed real evidence of Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and appearance.
According to Johnston and many other experts, Jesus is, in fact, “the man of the shroud.” I myself believe this very well could be the burial cloth laid over Christ after reviewing the evidence he presented.
What Is the Shroud of Turin?
The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot-long piece of linen kept in a cathedral in Turin, Italy.
In ancient Israel, it would have been common for a Jew to be buried in a linen cloth. Many linen cloths have been collected from the first century from the land of Israel. But we only have one that has an image “burst” on it with the image of a crucified man matching the description of Jesus’ crucifixion in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The Shroud could be another piece of evidence pointing to the truth of the gospels. Johnston said, “ It’s that powerful because, outside of the scriptures, no other artifact brings the death, burial, and resurrection together like the Shroud of Turin does.”
Most Compelling Evidence for the Shroud
Jeremiah shared some incredible details from over 600,000 hours of scientific study on the Shroud. Here’s what stood out:
- Pollen from the Middle East: Max Frei-Sulzer collected pollen from the Shroud and his analysis suggests the relic spent time in the Middle East.
- John 19:34 Connection: The presence of fluids around the side wound support pulmonary edema, consistent with what may have occurred in John 19:34 when “blood and water flowed out” of Jesus.
Why The Shroud of Turin Matters
While it is fascinating to review all the details of the Shroud, it really comes down to the message of John 3:16. The Shroud of Turin helps us see how much God loves us.
With all his research on the Shroud of Turin, Johnston shared that his most surprising discovery is how many skeptics have become Christians because of this discovery.
The primary message we need to bring to this lost world is Jesus, and we can use this as a tool in sharing the gospel with others. If we can remove the barrier of skepticism some have, then they must respond in some way, shape, or form to the actual promises and claims of Christ himself.
