Given that's it's Christmas Eve, I thought I'd post something relating to the high holy day. Here I want to focus on a line most people know from Luke's account of Jesus' birth--the reference to his swaddling clothes. The phrase come from the angel's announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in the field. Let's look at in its full context:
"The angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12). The significance of Jesus' swaddling clothes is often overlooked. But notice that the angel specifically explains that the fact that Jesus will be found in swaddling clothes will be part of the "sign" to them of his true identity as the Savior (Luke 2:12). Why is that?
To fully understand the importance of Jesus' swaddling clothes we need a little background.
In Luke's Gospel it is abundantly clear that Jesus is the "Messiah," which means the "anointed one", in Greek the christos--he is the Christ, the Son of David. Of course, the Davidic association with Jesus' role is obvious if you know the Old Testament. In recounting his last words, 2 Samuel 23 calls David, "the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam 23:1).
Jesus' role as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of David, is emphasized throughout the beginning of Luke's Gospel. At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that her son
"... will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32-33).
Later, Zechariah proclaims that the Lord "has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David" (Luke 1:69).
The Davidic themes continue in the story of Jesus' birth. He is born in Bethlehem, the city David had come from (cf. 1 Sam 16). In fact, Luke makes the Davidic association with Bethlehem explicit. "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David" (Luke 2:4).
As mentioned above, the angels also allude to Jesus' role as the Son of David in their announcement to the shepherds: "for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
So what's the significance of Jesus' appearance? Why is it a sign that the royal son of David is born in such a humble setting rather than into extravagance?
I would submit that it is because Solomon, the first son of David, was also known for such humility (until, of course, he turned away from the Lord). In Wisdom of Solomon 7, Solomon recounts how asked not for wealth or power, but only Wisdom. The son of David goes on to describe how, even though he is the greatest of all the kings of the earth, he was born like all others:
Jesus' humble birth is a sign that he really is the true Son of David. Like Solomon (before he fell away from the Lord), he is not about power, might or glory. Indeed, it would seem that along these lines the fact that he has even more humble birth might suggest that he is somehow even more worthy of glory. And, of course, he too is wrapped in swaddling clothes.And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth, and my first sound was a cry, like that of all. 4 I was nursed with care in swaddling cloths. 5 For no king has had a different beginning of existence; 6 there is for all mankind one entrance into life, and a common departure. 7 Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. 8 I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. 9 Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her. 10 I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light...
The Son of David, the Messiah is born. Glory to God!
Merry Christmas!
13 comments:
That is really neat! I was thinking about the swaddling clothes this week and wondering what the significance was. Thank you for the insight.
Very interesting. Does the LXX match up with Luke in that regard?
Taylor
I think too much is being made of swaddling clothes. It was a common practice then and now and had nothing to do with being of humble origins. The point of mentioning swaddling clothes in regards to the passage about King David was to show that he began life as a baby, like all others, not that his beginning was humble since he had swaddling clothes. One tends to find what one looks for.
I remember as a child in church being taught by a woman who had lived for a number of years in Israel. Her comment on swaddling clothes to us was that swaddling clothes or cloths were used to wrap the body of a person who had died. If this is true, the significance and message would be then that this baby, this Messiah, was born to die, something that would have been completely unexpected of the Messiah... if swaddling clothes were not ordinary baby blankets.
While the groom built their new home, the bride also made preparations, including the embroidery of the swaddling bands with which the couple’s hands would be wrapped under the wedding canopy. Later these bands would also be used to secure blankets or swaddling clothes around the couple’s infant children. The symbols on the bands often indicated family history.11 Mary was from the tribe of Judah, so she may have used symbols common to that lineage such as a lion, a lamb, or a tree of life. As a descendant of David, she was also entitled to use the royal colors of blue and white. The symbolic significance of swaddling bands was so important that the embroidery on each side of the swaddling bands had to match exactly, with “right” and “wrong” sides indistinguishable. This symbolized the complete harmony of inner and outward life.12
the high priest robes were cut and used to wrap the torah when it was retired and a new one used because they had been in the presence of GOD they could not be destroyed they were buried. the angels were talking to Jews who would understand what they meant Yeshua was the that which was holy to G-D
I would agree "One tends to find what one looks for" but also that one misses what one is not open to seeing. Have you ever wondered why the priest(s) in the temple did not notice Jesus as Messiah and Simeon and Anna did? (Luke 2) Maybe it is because that is what they were looking for. It just so happens, they were right, and found it, while others only saw a boy born to commoners, nothing to write home about
I agree that the swaddling clothes are a significant part of the sign mentioned by the angel, but since swaddling clothes seem to have been common practice, then one should probably look for its significance in combination with "lying in a feeding trough", which seems much clearer to me as a sign, since no Jew would normally look for the newborn king in a feeding trough! The absolute clarity of the "swaddling clothes" part of the sign I find slightly elusive, even after all that the rest of you have said. What is clear to me is that it would absolutely have been a sign to the shepherds, and ultimately our realisation of that is what matters most.
As we read the Nativity Story, (esp Luke 2: 7-20)
Ponder the questions? Why did the angels go to the shepherds first? Why are swaddling clothes twice mentioned, "And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
I gave a talk a week ago, on the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, when I found the special significance of this verse LaST NIGHT, it brought special testimony of His birth as the Saviour,
The shepherds would take the firstborn of the flock for the sin sacrifice offering. To stop the newborn lamb from injuring itself so it would be without blemish they would wrap them in swaddling clothes and usually lay them in a manger until they were stronger ready to go to the mother. Thus the sign of the firstborn son wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger was of special signifigance to the shepherds, who would share this incredible sign with others who could understand it!
May He continue to have a significant place in everyone's heart especially on this day of celebration.
Humbly, in His eternal Love
Bob Lewis
Bob:
I've never heard that before. Which sources from antiquity tell us the shepherds did this?
Thank you Spec Blog, Anonymous and Bob for the helpful information.
Your comments make clear the absolute necessity of us reading both Old and New Covenats, especially the Gospels, in their ancient Hebrew cultural context ...not a Western, especially English one.
It seems from my research that the latter tradition up to the 18th Century was allegedly to assist an infant to be calm and grow straight.
Blessings all!
Gary in Toronto
Luke esi mentions swaddling cloth not swaddling clothes. swaddling cloth, as I understand, was a very cheap cloth which was wrapped around the top portion of a reed, soaked in oil then lit. It would light the way as a torch. Jesus came to be the light of the world and came full of oil of the Holy Spirit. His light will always shine.
Swaddling clothes/cloth are only used until the baby is able to turn over by itself, which happens around three months old. So the shepherds were given a rough age of the baby Jesus.
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