The Mystery of Swaddling Clothes

The Thursday before Christmas, a cousin was celebrating his birthday. After eating cake, he said, “God forgive my sin. I have added a lot of calories.” Before that, we had to travel to the village, but the car that was meant to transport us got issues, and even after doing all we’d could, it seems to me, like it was intentional for God for us to use taxis.

The journey was long, going to my father’s birth town, and it was uncomfortable, but we arrived.Where am I going with this?Well, I was wondering, how God — the God of the entire universe — would let His son be born in a manger. How could it be possible that all inns got so full! Didn’t Joseph have relatives where they’d spend the night!It seemed quite intentional by whoever called the shots.

When baby Jesus came around, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed where the cattle feed.

In those days there were Levitical Shepherds trained to attend the flock of sheep that were to be used as sacrificial lambs in the Temple. An article I found on the internet says;

Sacrificial lambs had to be spotless and without blemish. They required special treatment and observing. According to the laws of the time, the sheep that were used for the offerings had to be a one-year-old male sheep that had been outside for 365 days (one year). When they were ready, they were taken to Jerusalem to be sacrificed on the Sabbath in the Temple.

When the mother ewe was preparing to give birth, she was taken to a special birth place, or to the only cave designated, to give birth to the sacrificial Iambs. This cave was kept sterile and clean for the arrival of newborn sacrificial Iambs. The newborn lamb was immediately wrapped in clean swaddling cloths to protect them and keep them from blemish and danger.

No wonder it made so much sense to the shepherds to whom the angel appeared to to announce the birth of Jesus. That still was intentional. Why didn’t the angel appear to the roman soldiers! They’d never have understood ‘swaddling clothes’

What did this mean?

Jesus’ being wrapped in swaddling clothes meant He was that newborn sheep being prepared to be sacrificed for the sins of the world — including my cousin’s regarding extra calories — so that the wrath of God could be stayed and not directed to man.

It was not about the fact that Mary and Joseph could not afford proper nursing clothes. God was intentional in all of this. The inns closing must have pushed the expecting mother to go for the option of laying in the cave that worked as a kraal and separation chamber for the special lambs. Perhaps the water could have broken as they scouted for more rooms.

It all seemed uncomfortable, like our journey by public means, but all in all, it was worth it. It was meant to be. It worked for the good of the entire world. And this time around, it was not just any sheep, it was God Himself, ‘being kept apart, to be sacrificed’ for the very humans He created, so that the sin that separated them from Him would lose the power to!

Now that’s one subtle grand entry of a hero!

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Luke 2:8-14 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this [will be] the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ” Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”