“(John 1:1) In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…(John 1:14) and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
A friend of mine recently introduced me to a very fascinating piece of history that I wanted to share with you. This cultural phenomenon will make you think twice about denying who Jesus is. I thought it would be very fitting for the current Christmas season.
There is a group of European Jews called the Ashkenazi Jews that have held an inspiring custom for the last 400 years. When their sons are circumcised, the mothers wrap them in swaddling clothes. They then take that garment and decorate it personalizing it to the boy and his family. When the boy comes of age (13) he moves from boyhood to manhood were he is required to recite from the Torah. After he has done so his mother will take those same swaddling clothes (from the child's infancy) and wrap the Torah scroll with it becoming a cherished family heirloom.
This tradition is particularly interesting because when Jesus was born he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Jesus was and is “God in flesh” but is also known as the “Word of God.” The actual Word of God was wrapped in swaddling clothes just like the Ashkenazi custom. It is astonishing to me how God has revealed Himself here by taking the culture of a people group who will not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and use that as a profound revelation as to who Jesus really is. The living Word of God.
Merry Christmas!
