A Sign
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-14
The shepherds were told they would be given a sign that the message they heard was true. What a gracious act of God to go beyond the already miraculous revelation of the angelic host with the message of Christ’s Advent. God gave them further assurances as if any were needed. They would find the baby “wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
There are a lot of theories surrounding the meaning of the swaddling cloths and why that would be a sign to the shepherds. The “swaddling” of an infant is not all that unusual or uncommon. It is still practiced almost universally today in one way or another. The newborn is wrapped tightly to provide comfort as it has just left the confines of the womb and needs the security that being wrapped tightly provides. It also keeps the baby from scratching himself while he explores the new world with his hands and fingers.
Still, the fact that Luke adds this detail and says it is a sign must indicate something significant about what the shepherds would find. The best theory seems to be that the cloths used were strips of cloth wrapped around the body of the infant Jesus, making him appear almost as we would think of a mummy. In other words, it is possible that this was meant to be a sign pointing to the ultimate purpose and meaning behind Christ’s Advent. He came to give His life as a sacrifice for our sins.
The lowly shepherds were shown a harbinger of what was to come.
