What was with Jesus' Swaddling Clothes?

 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

We read this passage in Luke and sometimes look past the fact that when Jesus was born, he was like so many other babies that he indeed was wrapped in swaddling clothes. As the Son of the Most High God, Jesus needed comfort just like all humanity. 

But what do we know about swaddling clothes and their purpose, and are they still used today in modern times? 

For the answer to those questions, I went to my ole faithful site that explains that for us. Take note of the theories about what they could have meant to Jesus as he was clothed in them:

Swaddling clothes are cloths and bands used in the practice of swaddling, or essentially “wrapping” an infant tightly in cloth. The idea behind swaddling is that it helps the baby transition from the womb (a very snug place) to the outside world. Swaddling clothes are still used today, but with some modifications. In general, swaddling has been proved to help infants sleep better, to prevent them from scratching themselves, and to reduce the risk of SIDS. In ancient times, like today, a swaddled infant was safe if wrapped and watched properly. Many cultures still practice swaddling today.

The biblical passage that refers to swaddling clothes is Luke 2: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7, ESV). We can assume from the fact that she swaddled the baby Jesus that Mary was an attentive and loving mother. The angel who spoke to the shepherds on the hillside mentions swaddling clothes as part of the sign to the shepherds that they had found the Messiah (Luke 2:12).

There are some interesting theories about Luke’s detail of Jesus’ swaddling clothes. Some have postulated that the swaddling clothes were a foreshadowing—a prophetic reference—of Jesus’ burial cloths. The Greek word sparganoo is the root word used in the phrase “swaddling clothes,” and it means “to clothe in strips of cloth.” But this word sparganoo is never used in the New Testament to refer to burial cloth. In the descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus’ burial, we see variations on the phrase “wrapped in linen cloth,” and different Greek words are used for the binding. The swaddling clothes could prefigure Jesus’ burial (the Magis’ gift of myrrh in Matthew 2:11 is a clearer bit of foreshadowing), but the link can’t be proved linguistically.

When the Son of God came into our world, He was entrusted to responsible, loving parents who sought to meet His every need. Baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes according to the custom of the day, an action that showed the tender care and affection of His mother.

(credit: gotquestions.org)

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They pointed to Mary, his mother who had seen at her young age, that this was important in caring for her new baby boy. 

Swaddling clothes is mentioned also to the shepherds when the angel announced to them that their Savior was born and they would find him wrapped in them lying in a manger. 

Overall, maybe we don't think much about swaddling clothes as we celebrate his birth during this time every year. But evidently it was an important enough to be told in his story. 

And maybe that is why it is there for us. 

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by. God bless!