Why does the Bible stress baby Jesus was wrapped 'in swaddling clothes'?

'Surprising and breathtaking truths can be gleaned'

By WND Staff
Published December 18, 2022 at 6:41am

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(Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

The story of the miraculous birth of Jesus, the Spirit God who became human flesh, echoes across the entire planet this week as countless Christians crack open their Bibles to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.

But there's one part of the story that millions may glance over without much thought, even though it's voicing an impressive, inspiring message.

It's the point that the Son of God was wrapped "in swaddling clothes," strips of cloth often used to give newborn children a sense of comfort.

(Photo by Michal Bar Haim on Unsplash)

TRENDING: The shepherds: Why their story still matters

Now, the author of a new book decoding the hidden, additional meaning of the actual historical events of Scripture is taking a fresh look at the magnificent passages to unlock what's being said on the Spirit level of parables, the level at which Jesus spoke exclusively.

"There might be some surprising and breathtaking truths that can be gleaned from the accounts of the physical birth of God into man," says Joe Kovacs, author of "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything."

 

Author Joe Kovacs

"Because the entire Bible is more than just an accurate historical record. It's broadcasting additional, Spirit-filled messages for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see those messages."

Noting that Jesus "did not tell them anything without a parable" (Matthew 13:34 CSB) and that He is constantly "declaring the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10 KJV), telegraphing the conclusion of the story right from the start, Kovacs began his analysis on the two verses in Luke which mention how Jesus – or Yeshua, meaning "Salvation" in Hebrew – was wrapped.

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger" (Luke 2:7 KJV)

"And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12 NKJV)

A live Nativity scene in Stuart, Florida (Photo by Joe Kovacs)

Kovacs explains, "The shepherds who were instructed to go to Bethlehem were told that the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger was a sign. It's not only the sign that they found the right child, but it's also a prophetic sign, when we connect the rest of the dots in Scripture."

"We have to remember that Jesus did not exist for the first time as a human baby. He is the everlasting Spirit Being who has always existed and that 'all things were made through Him' (John 1:3 NKJV).

"So is it possible that 'swaddling clothes' wrapping up this divine child are mentioned because the cloths are a metaphor for His new condition in the fabric of the flesh, just as all human beings are wrapped in the sackcloth of our flesh? He left His Spirit existence to become something that physically can be touched and felt, like we feel the fabric of cloth. In other words, God who was previously Spirit became someone wrapped in physical matter, a 'material,' like cloth.

"I'm just proffering this possibility because other Scriptures in the Bible talk about being wrapped in swaddling bands and our bodies being covered. For instance, Job mentions 'thick darkness its swaddling band,' (Job 38:9 NKJV)  and Isaiah tells us "darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples' (Isaiah 60:2 NIV). The Bible outright tells us that the peoples who are literally made up of the 'earth' (1 Corinthians 15:47) are covered, as in clothed, with the darkness of the flesh while God, in His divine Spirit state 'is light, and in him is no darkness at all'" (1 John 1:5 KJV).

The Old Testament also indicates: "The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment (Psalm 104:2 NIV).

(Photo by Bruno Thethe on Unsplash)'

But regarding the "clothing" for the first human beings created by God in the garden of Eden, Genesis says, 'The LORD God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them.' (Genesis 3:21 CSB).

"In other words," Kovacs explains, "our physical skin could represent a form of clothing on the parable level. We all have a spirit within us giving us our individual personality, but we're all wrapped, covered and clothed with our outer darkness, known as the flesh."

The author of "Reaching God Speed" says, "If this indeed is the case, it makes perfect sense why, years later, the physical body of Jesus is again wrapped in cloths once He was put to death at the end of His earthly ministry.

"It's setting the stage and painting the picture for a phenomenal event, not only for Jesus, but for every believer in Him. It's called resurrection. Complete victory over death."

The New Testament notes: "When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb" (Matthew 27:59-60 NKJV).

But after three days, Peter and another disciple famously discovered the empty tomb of Jesus after His resurrection from the dead, with only His cloth wrappers remaining.

"He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself" (John 20:6-7 CSB).

"Not only are the gospels recording the historical event of Jesus' resurrection from the dead," says Kovacs, "the details of escaping the cloth wrappings are painting a fantastic spiritual picture. Because the escape from the cloth wrapper is broadcasting our own escape from our own wrappers, our dead bodies of flesh. Jesus is showing how we all can get out of our personal wrapper of the cloth of our body and become an immortal child of God, completely freed from the shackles of our physical flesh!"

"Even when Jesus raised Lazarus – whose name means 'God has helped' – from the dead, the same imagery is present with the man who was previously dead needing to be unwrapped from the strips of cloth covering him."

• The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and let him go" (John 11:44 CSB).

(Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash)

"The Word of God is voicing the same message over and over," says Kovacs.

"From the beginning of the human birth of the Spirit God in Bethlehem, the child being wrapped in the metaphoric swaddling clothes of human flesh, the ultimate end is being declared. That both Jesus and we ourselves are meant to eventually escape our personal wrapping, our temporary covering of darkness, our swaddling clothes that keep us comforted for now. We're literally going to change our clothes. We're going to get rid of the personal sackcloth of our mortal bodies and be transformed into immortal, incorruptible children of God, becoming the 'children of light' (1 Thessalonians 5:5)  as God Himself is light and wraps Himself in light."

"Here are just a few more verses proclaiming this brilliant truth:"

"You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness" (Psalm 30:11 CSB)

"I rejoice greatly in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation" (Isaiah 61:10 CSB)

"When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54 CSB).

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you" (Isaiah 60:1 CSB).

(Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay)

(Those wishing to contact or interview Joe Kovacs can email him here).

Endorsed by Chuck Norris and other Christian champions, "Reaching God Speed" is nothing short of a breakthrough work, as it probes God's hidden messages embedded in popular movies, hit songs from (Adele and the Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin), the stories we tell our children, everyday phrases we all say, historic news events, famous commercial campaigns, nature itself, and typical life activities such as such as inhaling every breath you take, sleeping, waking up and many more.

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