Shroud of Turin On Display Again

It has always been a source of wonder, excitement, hope, but at the same time doubt and controversy. Most would recognize it with the uttering of just two simple words – The Shroud.

Of course it is the famed Shroud of Turin, believed by some Christians to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ – the very one that wrapped the Son of God after His crucifixion on a Roman cross some 2,000 years ago. But the legendary object has been out of circulation for eight years for patchwork repair that was done by nuns after the cloth was damaged in a fire. But a week after Easter 2010 the artifact again went on public display. The piece will be viewed at the Turin Cathedral by two million people over the next six week period.

As far as the Shroud itself, many scholars doubt its authenticity for a variety of reasons. Others believe it is real. The Catholic Church's official position states, “The shroud is an important tool for faith regardless of its authenticity.” David Rolfe, who made a film for the Catholic Church’s exhibition believes the Shroud to be real mainly because the face of the piece’s tortured victim has what he terms a ‘transcendental quality about it.”

Almost anyone involved on any level of Christianity can understand the wonder and fascination at the thought of literally gazing upon a preserved imagine of the Son of God, and Savior of humanity. Whether or not God would ever want such an item to be in the hands of man is an interesting question in and of itself. But to say that this particular item is the real deal because the face looks somehow ‘transcendental’ is a rather interesting way of looking at the issue. It would be interesting to see if the ‘transcendental’ quality of the Shroud would hold up as evidence of its reality in a serious court of law.

But it is the statement by the Catholic Church itself that seems most intriguing of all. To claim that the item is a ‘crucial tool to the faith regardless of its authenticity’ hopefully means something other than what it appears to on the surface.

When it comes to Christianity, and the redemption of the human soul, authenticity is everything. Without that, there is nothing of substance. Granted there are things that could be regarded as helpful, important, or encouraging in certain religious matters. But it is the reliability and full authenticity of God’s living word that changes lives, frees lost sinners, and opens the doors of heaven.

If Genesis, the book of beginnings, is not 100% authentic and trustworthy, then why should anything that follows it be taken as literal? If the miracles of Jesus described in the Gospel accounts are not seen as fully authentic, then how could the power of God not be doubted at some other point along the way? If the sinless life of Jesus Christ was viewed as just an ‘important religious tool’ would that not make His qualification to be the sacrifice for sins of the world suspect or perhaps inadequate?

When if comes to matters of the Christian faith it is the total authenticity of the Word of God that reigns supreme. Even the Scriptures themselves claim that in 2 Peter 1:20 which states, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Whether or not the figure seen on the Shroud is Jesus Christ is not the real issue at hand. What matters is that Jesus was real as was His ministry and the perfect fulfillment of purpose for His coming. A tarnished image of His body does not need to be seen in some mysterious relic for saving faith in God to be confirmed. His authenticity is seen everywhere by those just willing to gaze upon His miraculous creation. The Apostle Paul shared that truth out Romans one. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20)

The admirers and the skeptics will continue their debate over the famous ‘transcendental’ figure known as the Shroud of Turin. But when all is said and done, just a few things will really matter and they will not be any of the so-called ‘important tools’ of the faith. Rather it will be only the authenticity of the Gospel as shared in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

God’s creation and the authenticity of His Son’s existence, ministry and finished work of on the cross will never be seen or confirmed in some religious relic. The proof of His life, death, and resurrection are instead be revealed in the Scriptures and in the lives of those whose hearts have been genuinely changed by seeing Christ through them with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Peter put it like this in chapter nine. "That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls." (1Peter 9:7-9

Is the Shroud of Turin for real? We will likely never know. But we do know this. If the man it displays was not God’s Son, then he was a lost sinner and thus in dire need of the authentic salvation offered by the authentic crucified Savior - the risen Christ who remains the only hope for those eternally lost apart from His unimaginable authentic love!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Bill Breckenridge