Swaddling Clothes
Kathleen C. Perrin
Christmas 2017 ©
Christmas 2017 ©
Son of God, His Holy Lamb, a babe in swaddling bands,
Wrapped, no doubt, with wedding strips by Mary’s gentle hands.[1]
A sign to shepherds: swaddled babe, a manger as his bed,
Deep symbol of a firstborn lamb, unblemished hoof to head . . .
Designated sacrifice, kept in a manger hav’n,
Linen bands wrapped to protect from blemish until giv’n.[2]
In awe, the shepherds came and found the Firstborn Son of God.
None failed to understand the sign, and spread the news abroad.
Greater meaning, bands of cloth, when wrapped about a reed
And soaked in oil, act as a torch to light a world in need.
Christ, with holy oil anointed, filled the world with Light,
Like the star that lit the sky upon that holy night.
Other use of bands of cloth: binding wounds and breaks.
The Savior came to bind our wounds, was wounded for our sakes.
He broke the bonds of sin and then was bound by guards and jailed,
E’en though he could have broken free, then on a cross, was nailed.
Strips of cloth were wound about his body in the grave.
Then left, a sign he broke the bands of death to mankind save.
[1] In Jewish tradition, the hands of the bride and groom were bound under the wedding canopy with strips of cloth embroidered with symbols of their lineage. It was a common practice to use those same strips to swaddle their firstborn child.
[2] Jewish shepherds offered the firstborn of the flock as a sin sacrifice offering. To prevent the newborn lamb from injuring itself so it would be without blemish, the shepherds would often wrap the firstborn lamb in bands of cloth and place it in a food trough apart from the other sheep until it was stronger and could go to its mother until it was time to be offered as a sacrifice.
Wrapped, no doubt, with wedding strips by Mary’s gentle hands.[1]
A sign to shepherds: swaddled babe, a manger as his bed,
Deep symbol of a firstborn lamb, unblemished hoof to head . . .
Designated sacrifice, kept in a manger hav’n,
Linen bands wrapped to protect from blemish until giv’n.[2]
In awe, the shepherds came and found the Firstborn Son of God.
None failed to understand the sign, and spread the news abroad.
Greater meaning, bands of cloth, when wrapped about a reed
And soaked in oil, act as a torch to light a world in need.
Christ, with holy oil anointed, filled the world with Light,
Like the star that lit the sky upon that holy night.
Other use of bands of cloth: binding wounds and breaks.
The Savior came to bind our wounds, was wounded for our sakes.
He broke the bonds of sin and then was bound by guards and jailed,
E’en though he could have broken free, then on a cross, was nailed.
Strips of cloth were wound about his body in the grave.
Then left, a sign he broke the bands of death to mankind save.
[1] In Jewish tradition, the hands of the bride and groom were bound under the wedding canopy with strips of cloth embroidered with symbols of their lineage. It was a common practice to use those same strips to swaddle their firstborn child.
[2] Jewish shepherds offered the firstborn of the flock as a sin sacrifice offering. To prevent the newborn lamb from injuring itself so it would be without blemish, the shepherds would often wrap the firstborn lamb in bands of cloth and place it in a food trough apart from the other sheep until it was stronger and could go to its mother until it was time to be offered as a sacrifice.