And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:12)
When people preach or teach this, they don't go deep enough in talking about the swaddling clothes.
According to an article,swaddle means to bind, as with a bandage; to bind tight with clothes; used generally of infants; as, to swaddle a child.
These types of clothes were often used in wrapping newborn babies tightly. They were also used for wrapping the dead.
Jesus left heaven to take on the flesh of man, He was immediately wrapped in swaddling clothes. The swaddling clothes were really a foreshadow of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
The last thing Jesus had on before He rose from the grave were bandages or swaddling clothes.
Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:12)
So, when the babe was wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes, it was God’s way of pointing to Jesus' death and resurrection. It shows that He was sentenced to die for man as soon as He was born.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus (in swaddling clothes), let's also remember His death and resurrection (in grave clothes) as He completed His mission here on earth to save us from our sins.
Christ was born to die.
