Daily Devotional For Thursday, December 19, 2024
Our word for today is WRAPPED. When we think of Christmas wrapping, the first thing our mind goes to is red bows, curled ribbon, shiny paper, and name tags. This was not the first Christmas wrapping. Luke 2:7 tells us, “And she [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (NKJV).
The tender power of this moment defies description. Psalm 104:2 pictures God’s greatness by saying, “The Lord wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent” (NIV). God has always wrapped Himself . . . now He is allowing Himself to be wrapped. God who is wrapped in purest light is now being wrapped in the cleanest cloths that can be found in a dirty barn.
Since every baby born back then was wrapped in swaddling clothes, why mention it? Why mention it twice? Look says it again in repeating what the angels said to the shepherds that night. Look at Luke 2:12, “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (NKJV). So, how could this be a sign for the shepherds? Since every baby born then was wrapped in swaddling clothes, how could they distinguish or even know which baby was Jesus?
The sign was not the swaddling clothes, but a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger – a feeding trough. This let the shepherds know not to go from house to house, but to find a stable or barn and look for a baby in a feeding trough. Finding a baby in a feeding trough would be significant and it would be the sign that this baby is the promised Messiah.
Mary wrapped Jesus in cloths and put him in a manger. In the first century, strips of cloths were used to bind a baby snuggly for warmth, security, and to keep the limbs straight. The point is that Jesus was treated like any other baby. Jesus was not dressed in fancy or expensive or even royal robes but in the normal wrappings that other babies were of that day. New Testament British scholar William Barclay writes this:
“Swaddling clothes consisted of a square of cloth with a long bandage-like strip coming diagonally off from one corner. The child was first wrapped in the square of cloth and then the long strip was wound round and round about him” (Source: William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, “Luke,” p. 26).
New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton adds this:
“These cloths were believed to protect its internal organs. This custom of wrapping infants is still practiced in many Mideastern countries. Apparently Mary and Joseph accomplished the delivery themselves; otherwise, a midwife would have wrapped the child” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 41).
Women since ancient times and in many cultures have wrapped their newborn infants. The umbilical cord is cut and tied, then the baby is washed with water and rubbed with finely pulverized salt. Then he is laid on a cloth, legs straight and arms at his sides. A long strip of cloth, 4 or 5 inches wide by 5 or 6 yards long, is wrapped in overlapping bands from head to toe. Room is left for the face, of course, and at the business end of things. The snug cloths prevent startling, help limbs to grow straight, help the baby sleep, protect and secure the baby, provide stability to the baby, help keep the baby warm, aid in sleeping and help the baby transition from the womb to the outside world.
Twice Luke tells us the baby Jesus was wrapped. Why? To let us know that Jesus was wanted and accepted by both Mary and Joseph. The swaddling clothes represent or are symbolic of both maternal and paternal care and concern, being wanted and owned, received and embraced. Both Mary and Joseph accepted completely God’s will and purpose for their lives and in some way, God wrapped them in the swaddling clothes of His grace and mercy.
There is a reference to swaddling clothes in the Old Testament in referring to Israel’s birth by God. Look at Ezekiel 16:4-5a, “As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. (5) No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you” (NASB). Notice Ezekiel refers to the normal things done to a baby immediately upon its birth – washed with water, rubbed with salt and wrapped in cloths.
This was not the last time she was to wrap him. She wrapped him for warmth as a young boy and wrapped her arms around him in love as a teenager. Then, after she stood with her friends and watched her son die on a cross, Mary watched as Jesus was wrapped in cloths to be put in a tomb. We read in Luke 23:53, “Then He (Joseph of Arimathea) took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock (NLT). In other words, you were wrapped in the same kind of swaddling cloths at death as you were at birth.
Being born as a baby certainly seemed to be God’s greatest possible act of humility. It was not. Philippians 2:8 says, “He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross (NLT). The God who wraps Himself in light allowed Himself to be wrapped in cloths and put in a manger at birth and then was wrapped in cloths to be placed in a tomb at his death. In this month of looking at the words of Christmas, this is a moment that leaves us without words.
When we think of wrapping at Christmas, we think of gifts that we give each other. Jesus was the first to be wrapped at Christmas, and He is the greatest gift of all. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thank God for this gift, His gift. No language can praise it enough!” (MSG).
Questions To Consider
- What do you think is the significance that in the first century, both a baby and a dead body were wrapped in swaddling clothes?
- We wrap Christmas gifts today because the baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes. After all the anxiety, worry, confusion, fear, anger and threats, Joseph and Mary must have been thrilled and joyful after wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes. When you wrap Christmas gifts, are you joyful or kind of jaded? Why?
- If you have children or grandchildren, take an old sheet for example and wrap them up in it tightly just like Joseph and Mary did the baby Jesus. Explain to them why this was done and how beneficial it was to babies back then. Ask them how they felt about this experience and use it to help them understand that is how God wraps us in His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion.
- I don’t know if you noticed, but a Joseph wrapped the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes when He was born and another Joseph wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes when He died. This was ordained by God.
Scripture To Meditate On: John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Father, there are no words and there is no language that can express to You the wonder of the gift You have given in Jesus. I know that You hear my heart, even as I struggle to put words to the depth of my feelings. I am so deeply grateful for the gift of Jesus’ love. He humbled Himself and became a baby to bring that love — thank You. And then, He humbled Himself and died a horrible death on the cross to shout that love — thank You. I love You Jesus. In Your Precious name, I thank You. Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly