“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.”
LUKE 2: 11-12
SWADDLED, "to strap or wrap with narrow strips of cloth wrapped around an infant to restrict moment."
Swaddling was a middle eastern custom, as being swaddled meant you had a RECOGNIZED FATHER ,
as an unswaddled child was considered abandoned by his parents.
This swaddled baby: Not alone, wrapped snugly in His Fathers arms, and born to Mary.
Jesus entered into a woman's heart, soul, and body.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1: 34-35
This Baby “came upon”, which means to arrive, invade, rest upon. This baby invaded the life of Mary...so He could invade us.
Mary received Jesus by believing in the impossible.
Jesus changing the life of His mother as she carried Him for nine months.
A BETTER HOPE ENTERED IN TO MARY….
"When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman..."(Galatians 4: 4)
God came dressed as a baby, TO BRING A BETTER HOPE TO A HELPLESS AND HOPELESS WORLD.
Jesus was swaddled so He could swaddle us….
WITH A NEW LIFE…WITH A BETTER HOPE IN ALL THINGS.
Hope is a precious gift that we have to cleave to. Just As a baby cleaves to it's mother we are to cleave to this baby...OUR HOPE.
WHAT ARE YOU PLACING YOUR HOPE IN?
Who, What Where do you run when you are feeling helpless?
WHAT do you have to lay down so you can pick up the Christ child SO HE CAN SWADDLE YOU?
Imagine this: What if you were carrying the Baby Jesus AROUND…ALL DAY…
PUTTING YOUR confidence
IN A BABY…
CARRYING HIM BECAUSE HE WANTS TO CARRY YOU?
If I am holding a baby I can’t be holding something else...BECAUSE...
It’s hard to pick up a baby when your hands are full.
How does the truth that you are swaddled by God, in Christ bring you hope?