Month: December 2024

Swaddling Cloths

/ Virginia / Leave a comment

“This shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12 KJV)

As I’ve grown in my Christian faith, it has become obvious that every detail in the Bible has significant meaning. Reading the Christmas story this season, the words swaddling cloths jumped out at me. Why did Luke add this detail? Why was it so important that we know that the baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths before He was laid in a manger? I felt compelled to research various Bible translations, linguistics, and traditions to see if scholars might know.

What I found were four very different opinions. The first was simply that Mary was an attentive mother, swaddling her baby, much like we do our babies today. The second opinion hearkened back to Jewish tradition when a betrothed maiden would embroider a cloth with designs from her husband’s lineage (perhaps the Lion of Judah for Joseph’s lineage because he was of the House of David). That cloth would then be wrapped around their hands during their marriage ceremony, signifying their union. It would then be wrapped around their babies to strengthen the bond and covenant of their marriage.

The third opinion was that often when people of that time traveled, they would wrap lengths of fabric around their waist so that in case of death, it would be easier to transport the body if it were wrapped in lengths of cloth. If the baby Jesus were wrapped in these cloths, it would foreshadow His being wrapped in linen burial cloths after His death at Calvary and prior to His resurrection.

The fourth option was the most intriguing to me. It weaves history, Jewish tradition, and stories found in the Old Testament with Christ’s birth. In Genesis 35:21, we read that Rachel died after giving birth to her son Benjamin and was buried at Migdal Eder. In Micah 5:2, we read the prophecy that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem Ephrata, “the place where Rachel died.”

By the time Jesus was born, Migdal Eder had become the Tower of the Flock where shepherds would bring their best lambs to be inspected by the Levitical priests. The most perfect and unblemished lambs would then be sacrificed during the Passover ceremony. The ceremony dated back to the time of Moses and Israelite captivity in Egypt when God told the Israelites to paint lamb’s blood over the door frame so that He would pass over that house and not allow “the destroyer” to enter. Any home without lamb’s blood would lose their firstborn to death. The Passover lamb ceremony was a foreshadowing of Jesus, the perfect sacrificial lamb who would allow those who believe in Him to escape from death into life eternal.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds would wrap their best lambs in swaddling cloths to keep them from becoming blemished and take them to Migdal Eder to be inspected by the Levitical priests. When the angel appeared to the shepherds the night Christ was born, he told them that “this will be a sign unto you.” The commentary concludes that the shepherds would have known exactly where to find the newborn King… wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger in Migdal Eder. (See Fotet.org)

Each time I read the Christmas story in Luke 2, I am reminded how many old testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus at His birth. Does His being wrapped in swaddling cloths also point to Jesus being “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)?

Perhaps it matters not… what does matter is that Jesus was born, lived, and died to take away our sins. His is a free gift offered to each of us if only we believe (Romans 10:9). I pray that you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. May God’s richest blessings be upon you and yours this Holy Christmas.

***

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:8-18)

A Glimpse Beyond the Veil

/ Virginia / Leave a comment

I lost my mother this past October. She died two weeks before her 96th birthday. We’re not certain what happened. Her death was sudden. Up until five weeks prior, she was living independently. Her rapid decline was astonishing even to caregivers, doctors, and Hospice.  As an example, she spent less than 18 hours under Hospice care.. In the midst of it all, however, God showed up in an astonishing way.

The week before she passed away, I arrived at Mother’s care facility to find she had left a gathering.  When I caught up with her, Mother was smiling and asked me, “Did you see them?”  

“See who?” I asked.  

“The family.  They were all there,” she said.

Mother was an only child, and the family she was referring to were her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great aunts and uncles, all of whom had long since passed away. 

I questioned her further.  Mother said, “I saw them all.  They were each holding a glass of red liquid.  Their glasses were full, while mine was over half empty.”  

Mother said she had approached one woman who she thought was her Aunt Lorena, but the woman did not answer her.  Mother fell into my arms, sobbing.  “I miss them so.”

From that moment on, Mother was inconsolable.  She insisted that she wanted to go home.  But home was nowhere to be found… at least not in this world. I asked her where home was, but she couldn’t answer.   

The night of her death, Mother asked the nurse, “Why are they putting flowers on my bed?”  Moments later she looked up in surprise, calling her dad’s name.  My grandfather had come to take her Home.  It was fitting that it was Grandfather… Mother was the apple of his eye.  Then Mother took her last breath.  

Luke, the head of Mother’s Hospice team, reminded me that Mother’s visions were an assurance that she had seen beyond Heaven’s veil and was now with those family members that meant so much to her. It was a reminder to me that Heaven is real.  God, in His mercy, had lifted the veil for us between this world and the next. He had shown us a glimpse of the reunion that awaits each of us in Heaven (see 2 Samuel 12:23 as another example). If you do not know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray that you will investigate and embrace Him.  He promises a similar beautiful eternity in heaven for all of us who believe on Him.

May God bless each of you during this season of Thanksgiving.  Rest in peace, my dear mother. I pray that you are basking in the loving arms of family while worshipping the One who called you Home.

***

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

For an uplifting song and visual, check out I Believe, by Brooks and Dunn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5z-jjWyAJQ

In honor of my mother and her vision, we sang In the Sweet By and By at her memorial service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNEX7hHuVo