I wanted to see it for myself. I needed to know. Was it what Christ really looked like? Could it truly be his shroud?
It’s centuries old. It bears the likeness of a man tortured, scourged and crucified in every way consistent with the Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ’s passion. Many believe it to be his burial cloth. Others disagree. But after years of exhaustive studies its origin remains unknown. A true mystery. It is either the most clever forgery ever created by the hands of man, with details and encoded information impossible to reproduce with today’s technology, or it’s authentic; the actual burial cloth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It resides in the city of Torino. It’s considered a holy relic. It’s called The Shroud of Turin.
Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. John 20:6-7
No one knows what happened that first Easter morning—whether the angels gently awakened Jesus, or if he arose in a burst of radiant energy—but we do know that Peter and John found an empty tomb. The piece of fine white linen in which they’d placed his body was still there. And the short length of cloth that had been wrapped around his head lay folded up neatly by itself, separate from the rest.
OCTOBER 1978 “What we are doing here,” Dr. John Jackson explained, “is seeking the truth…we should start by applying the scientific method.”
And they did. In October 1978, thirty scientists met in Turin, Italy with a common goal—to determine the details, the authenticity, and indeed the actual origin of The Shroud of Turin. They unloaded crate after crate of equipment, set up shop within the cathedral, and examined the Shroud for five exhausting days. They took photographs, densitometry readings and pollen samples from its threads. They used microscopes, visible light, low energy x-rays, ultraviolet and infrared films. In short, they applied the scientific method, keeping an open mind at all times with the constant weight of global responsibility heavy on their shoulders. And when they had finished, the real work began.
“Pat?” Professor Vernon Miller of Brooks Institute of Photography stopped me one day after class. “Do you want an opportunity of a lifetime?”
“Opportunity?” I said with a casual shrug. “Sure. What is it?”
“I’m looking for two assistants next semester to help me with my studies. I’ve already spoken with Bill. We have a lot of research to do, and I could sure use your help.”
“Bill and me? Research? About what?”
“The Shroud.”
“The Shroud?” The Shroud of Turin was big news. Vern had just returned from Italy as Chief Scientific Photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project, and he was quickly becoming a legend. His photographs had kicked off a media frenzy and a new era of understanding as to the meaning and origin of the Shroud. His offer intrigued me. “Are you serious?” I said. “Yes!”
So my best friend, Bill Hendricks, and I got to work. We examined Vern’s negatives. Produced print after print after print. We performed scientific experiments. Scorched linens, and examined ancient Biblical icons. We traveled to Colorado Springs, and for three long days worked with Dr. John P. Jackson, physicist, and leader of the Shroud of Turin Research Project. We discussed the crucifixion, hung a volunteer victim upon a makeshift cross. We studied direct contact theories and produced three-dimensional images from original negatives of The Shroud. And so it went. For sixteen weeks. And Bill and I learned more about the Shroud of Turin than most people will ever know. We stood in the shadows of two great men, geniuses who had seen and touched The Shroud.
I felt privileged to have been a part of this wonderful experience. It changed my life. But after thirty years of continued studies and extensive lecturing of my own, I continued to feel a deep yearning. I needed to know—Was it authentic? Could the Shroud of Turin really be the grave cloth that wrapped my Lord?
APRIL 11, 2010 Thousands stood before me. Thousands more behind. Pilgrims. Regular people like me. We spoke different languages, but most of us smiled, for we shared a spirit of expectation. What we were all about to see…what we were all about to experience…it was bigger than any of us. Its relevance hard to imagine. But I had to know.
We waited two hours before finally reaching the chapel. My son, Phillip, entered before me. My wife, Kim, and I followed him inside. We entered the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista, the resting-place of The Shroud. It was dark and full of people, but a reverent silence filled the room. Some knelt in pews praying. Others stood in silent wonder. At the front of the chapel I noticed a warm glow. It was up there. I could almost see it. I felt my stomach tighten. My heart leapt with excitement.
The slow moving line suddenly quickened. My skin became warm. My heart began to race. The line moved forward, past the pews and around a corner, and then I saw it. Under guard. Behind bulletproof glass. A long sepia-colored cloth adorned by a thick wooden frame.
The Shroud.
We stopped to the side and waited our turn. I could not believe I was finally there after all those years, about to see the Shroud of Turin. I had always been a believer, but there still remained some doubt. Could this be the cloth that Peter found? Am I gazing at the Lord?
Our turn came. We stepped in front of The Shroud. A nun dressed in white began to address our group, sharing details in a language I could not understand, but it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t have heard her anyway. I stood in total amazement. Let my eyes roam over the details of the ancient cloth. Thinking. Absorbing. I had mere moments to gaze. I couldn’t waste a second.
I knew every inch of cloth by heart. Every bloodstain, crease and fold. And the image of the body was perfect. Subtle. Difficult to distinguish, but there. From the wounded wrists and feet, to the bloody scalp and spear-pierced side. Just like in the pictures, the negatives and prints over which I had labored, every detail rang true, clearly pointing to the scriptures. To Christ’s passion. His terrible death.
I fought to compose myself. Strained to comprehend my feelings. For thirty years I had waited, and at that moment as I stood before The Shroud of Turin I found myself in awe. Wondering once again…Is this the Lord? Is this really His shroud? Does it matter?
And then it hit me. It didn’t matter. Either way, my faith in Christ was secure. But what did matter, I suddenly realized, were the years of wonder and curiosity that had led me to that moment. The innocent pursuit of a young man that had begun in Vern Miller’s office so many years before. For in my search for the truth about The Shroud I had gained deep understanding. Knowledge of what my Savior had accomplished for you and me. Knowledge I could share with others about the depth of His love, and the true cost of our sins.
Jesus Christ anguished in the Garden. Suffered the brutal scourge. He was beaten, mocked and crucified. An innocent man condemned to a violent death. But in the end He arose. And the burial cloth that had been wrapped around his body? Well, Simon Peter “…saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.”
Did I gaze upon the Lord that day? Did Phillip and Kim and I stand before Christ’s image as we paused in that hallowed hall? We will never know. Not on this side of Heaven. But for me it no longer matters. Jesus suffered. He was crucified. And He rose again to conquer death. And if He left His image on that cloth to remind us of what He accomplished, so be it. Either way my faith is secure. I know without a doubt…Jesus Christ is the Lord.
_______________________________________________
“What Killed the Man in the Shroud of Turin?”
A PowerPoint presentation by Pat Patterson. For details, or to schedule a speaking engagement for your church or organization, please contact me at psquare@nc.rr.com
_______________________________________________
