The first thing that stuck in the minds of the disciples was not the empty tomb, but rather the empty grave clothes - undisturbed in form and position.

McDowell’s point is an apologetic one: in the resurrection narratives (especially John 20), the detail of the grave clothes is treated as evidential. An empty tomb could, in principle, be explained by removal of the body, but grave clothes left behind “undisturbed” suggests something other than hurried theft or relocation. The image implies a departure that did not involve unwrapping or struggle—supporting the claim that Jesus’ body was not simply taken, but transformed or passed through the wrappings. The quote thus uses a small narrative detail to argue for the plausibility of resurrection over alternative hypotheses.