Isaiah 63 vs1 says, ‘Glorious in his Apparel’.
His garments to the believer are precious. There are distinctive garments, distinguished garments, disdained garments and discarded garments that Jesus wore. Consider the first clothes that Christ wore – a distinctive garment.
In Luke’s Gospel ch2 v7 speaking of Mary it says ‘And she brought forth her first born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.’ In considering verse 7 we see His Passing, His Poverty, and His Passion.
Verse 12 speaks of what and who the shepherds will find and that it will be a sign to them. The meaning of sign here is that which will distinguish one person from others. Let it be a sign to us as well.
A Revelation of His Passing.
Swaddling clothes were not garments of life but garments of death. Swaddling clothes were the winding sheets in which dead people were wrapped. The shroud of death covered the Christ child from the moment of His birth. This shroud of death was already pressing against His sinless body as it was in the tomb. The crib was of wood where He was laid foreshadowing where He was to be laid on the cross. The shepherds saw the sign . At the beginning of His life there was the foreshadowing of Him on the Cross and in the tomb.
A Revelation of His Poverty.
The Scriptures tell us that it was Mary alone who wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes. She who gave birth to the Him also did the wrapping of the baby. There was no midwife, no helping friends, no encouraging relative, not a mention of Joseph. Born in a stable, lain in an animals feeding manger, born like a paupers child. Note it was Mary that put the babe Jesus into the manger, what a woman. Only the virgin’s hands, a believers hands handled the baby Jesus at His birth. Only believers touched Jesus Christ in His death (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea) and those believers wrapped Him in swaddling clothes.
A Revelation of His Passion
He came to die. Born and then wrapped in a death shroud foretelling of His Passion to come. No royal garments, no palace, no kings or princes to bow before him then, just a burial shroud surrounding him. What the swathing band concealed was the Messiah. The one who would give His life a ransom for many. The swaddling clothe foretold of His passing, poverty and passion.
He was hidden from the wise and the prudent. God knew from the beginning that His Son was born to die for us all.
Do you know Him?
Thought for Christmas – remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
God bless
– Michael Whitehouse