“On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.” Ezekiel 16:4
Can you think of the very first robe that Jesus wore? It was the swaddling clothes that Mary used to keep him safe and warm. Mary wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth and then laid him in the manger. What were cloths (NIV) or swaddling clothes (KJV)?
Just after a baby was born, it was washed with warm water and rubbed with salt and olive oil. Then the baby was laid diagonally on a large piece of cloth about a square yard in size. The mother, or another helper, laid the child’s legs together and held its arms at the side. The corners were then folded over the feet and body and under the head. Finally, thin strips of cloth were tied around the bundle to hold the baby snugly. We read in Luke 2:7,12, “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. . . . This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
This practice was followed for up to a year. Jewish women believed this would keep the baby safe and warm and help it grow strong and healthy. It is said that pregnant women often wore this cloth around their bellies before giving birth to have it ready at all times.
The next time we hear of Jesus’ body being wrapped was at his burial. John 19:40 tells us, “Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” We reverently think back to the two times Jesus’ body was wrapped. What a beautiful sign of his love for us.
From Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer