From the Cross to the Throne

John 20:7 tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not thrown aside like the grave clothes, it was folded. 

Is this significant? Absolutely.

The folded napkin meant that Jesus was coming back. Where did he go?

Christ had two places he had to go before he could come back.
1. Hades, shoel
2. Heaven

Why Hades?

Matt 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

As Jesus died on the cross. The sins of the world was placed on him

Roman 6:23 The wages (punishment) of sin is Death. (spiritual)

Because Christ was sinless, he defeated death, hell and the grave and by the Power of the Holy Spirit was raised from the dead.

* He took the keys to death and hell. Rev 1: 18
* When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train, and gave gifts to men. What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions. He who desceded is the very one who ascended high than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.  Eph 4: 7-10

He was between Hell and Heaven when he saw Mary Magdeline.

Why Heaven?

To sprinkle His blood on the Mercy Seat.

The priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. Hebrews 9: 6-7

When Christ came as high priest. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  Hebrews 9: 11-12

It was after he sprinkled his blood on the Mercy Seat, that he come back to see the disciples and spent 40 more days with them before he ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father.

He is not asking us to die like him.  He is asking us to live like him.