Sometimes what we ask God, comes to us as Strangely Wrapped Gifts.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. (Luke 2:1-5 NLT)

• Distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is 90.4 miles (2 hours).
• A long 5 -day journey for Joseph and 9 month pregnant Mary on a donkey.
• That was the process that God chose for both Mary and Joseph.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Jesus as a baby was wrapped in strips of cloth has a deeper meaning revealed by the angel to the shepherds.

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by THIS SIGN: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

• The shepherds were called “Levitical-Shepherds” raised lambs that would be used as sacrifice in the temple.

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Why is that passage so significant in the Christmas Story?

The gift of Christmas is Jesus, the Son of God. But His purpose and His mission was revealed to us in His wrapping.

• At His birth, he was wrapped in swaddling cloth pointing to Him as the Lamb of God
• At His burial, He was also wrapped in swaddling cloth fulfilling His mission as the lamb of God.

The world rejected Him because they world was not expecting Him, the gift to be wrapped in such a way

Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. (Matthew 8:34 NLT)

²⁸ When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. ²⁹ Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff. (Luke 4:28-29 NLT)

³ Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. (Mark 6:3 NLT)

¹¹ He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. (John 1:11 NLT)

STATEMENT: The Christmas Gift was rejected because He was strangely wrapped. 2000 years later, The Gift has not change. The Giver has not changed. The wrapping has not changed!

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16 -17 NLT)

FINAL THOUGHT:

What gift has God brought to your life, but the wrapping is not so attractive. Not what you would have expected? Take a second and think about it.

CONCLUSION:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?