If any persons had removed the body of Jesus, would they have stripped it before doing so? Or if anyone had stolen it, would they have taken the trouble to remove the cloth, and roll it up, and lay it in a place by itself? They would have taken the body as it was.
On this account John tells us, by anticipation, that the body of Jesus was buried with much myrrh, which glues linen to the body even more firmly than lead. So when you hear that the linen wrapping lay apart, you may not endure those who say that the body of Jesus was stolen.
For a thief would not have been so foolish as to spend so much trouble on a superfluous matter. Why should he undo the clothes? And how could he have escaped detection if he had done so? He would probably have spent much time in so doing, and be found out by delaying and loitering.
But why do the clothes lie apart, while the cloth was folded together by itself? That you may learn that it was not the action of men in confusion or haste, the placing some in one place, some in another, and then wrapping them together.
From this disciples believed in the Resurrection. On this account Christ afterwards appeared to them, when they were convinced by what they had seen.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM Homilies on the Gospel of John
