“They wrapped him in swaddling cloths”

Luke 2:7,12

“They wrapped him in swaddling cloths,” Luke 2:7,12

Pastor Tom Johnson, December 24, 2012

"They wrapped him in bands of cloth—they wrapped him in swaddling clothes."

I’ll never forget Georgia, our pediatric nurse showing us how to swaddle. She demonstrated how to fold a corner down and place the child’s head on triangle, then pull opposite corner up over child, then wrap one remaining corner snug around child, and then without losing that snug embrace, take the last corner, wrap it and tuck it into a pocket. She told us to wrap the baby up good and tight. She explained how important swaddling is. The swaddling blanket is comforting because of it’s squeeze and added warmth. Swaddling simulates the womb. It protects a baby from exposure, sun, wind, and cold. People swaddle all over the world—in hot and cold climates. Swaddling serves as a second skin. Some parents swaddle their newborns around their bodies. Both parent and child are wrapped up together. They are one—bonded to their parent—sharing warmth and the movement of each other’s bodies.

We have heard these words, “they wrapped him in swaddling clothes,” so many times. But why does Luke, the physician by trade, include these details? And why does Mary, Jesus’ mother treasure this memory in her heart? Maybe it is because the swaddling blanket highlights some marvelous truths about the Christ Child:

First, just as Joseph or Mary wrapped this newborn baby in bands of cloth, so God his Father had just wrapped the eternal Son of God in human skin. The one who has no beginning and no end—the Alpha and Omega—is now born a Human Babe in a manger. How wonderful and beautiful this is —that God would gift-wrap the second Person of the Trinity in bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh. Perhaps that is why we have the tradition of wrapping our gifts at Christmas time—adding mystery to our gift-giving—hiding the true identity of the gift. Likewise, the second Person of the Trinity is hidden the life of the newborn Baby in the manger. Some had the eyes and faith to see. Others would not see.

Second, Jesus, born the King of the Jews who is King of kings and Lord of lords took on himself the sin of the world—all the brokenness of this world. All the things that tempt us and threaten us, will tempt and threaten Jesus. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes because, like you and me, he longed for the embrace of his mother, he felt cold, he hungered, he thirsted, he humbled himself, and was wrapped up in all that it means to be a human being—yet without sin.

Third, just as Jesus would be wrapped in swaddling cloth at his birth, so he would be wrapped in a linen shroud at his death (Luke 23:53). Perhaps, Luke includes this detail as a sober reminder that Jesus being wrapped up in our sin and brokenness would ultimately cost him his life. Here in the manger, we have both the Good Shepherd and the sacrificial Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world.

And fourth, by Jesus being swaddled by the love, warmth, sin, and even death of our human experience—he has swaddled us in his love. That is also part of the mystery of God’s gift to us in the Christ child. That, for us, a Son is given; for us a Child is born. Underneath the bands of cloth, is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This newborn Baby is the One who is wrapped in our humanity in order to extend his arms to embrace us with his love.

We are tightly bound to him by faith. We feel the squeeze of his embrace in the assurance of forgiveness that he won for us on the cross. We feel the warmth of his embrace in the promise of resurrection that he won for us through the empty grave. Like the Christ Child who is received as Joseph and Mary’s own and by the Magi and Shepherds as the King of kings; so God receives us as his own royal daughters and sons. In this little, newborn Child, we are swaddled by God.