“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.

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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)