Friday, December 11, 2009

"Are You Wrapped Tightly?", by Pastor Kevin Lynch

No, I am not inquiring about your mental state of being.

I am merely staying within the parameters of the festive Christmas spirit.

Luke 2:7 - "And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes...".

One doesn't hear the term "swaddling" much anymore.

It refers to an infant being tightly wrapped as to restrict their movement.

It was a common practice in the ancient days, was subsequently done away with over the centuries, but oddly enough, has experienced a resurgence in modern times.

Why the comeback? Well, it appears that medical science has found that wrapping your infant tightly in a blanket in preparation for bed and napping has benefits, and not the least being the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (S.I.D.S.).

What I don't think Mary had envisioned at that time was the fact that a mere 30 or so years later, she would be witness to her beloved child being wrapped in swaddling clothes once again.

This time it would be for burial.

When they took Jesus down from the cross they began to prepare him for entombment. They tightly wrapped His body in linen grave clothes.

This time they laid Him in a tomb, not a manger.

It was finished. It had come full circle. From the cradle to the grave. Mary saw it all.

Fortunately the story doesn't end there.

No amount of swaddling clothing could restrict Him. It wasn't enough to prevent Jesus from leaving the nest of His mothereventually. It wasn't enough to keep Him locked inside a tomb.

He arose! He arose so that we could be born...again.

And it dawned on me this morning...it dawned on me that as sure as the infant Jesus was bound in His tightly wrapped protective linens and blankets as a Child, so are we tightly wrapped and protected in a spiritual sense when we accept Him as our Savior.

So, it's back to my question this morning.

Are you wrapped tightly?

Has the comforting and protective Holy Spirit surrounded you with the swaddling love of Christ and all the benefits that come with being a child of the King?

Maybe you are and you haven't looked at it that way.

Maybe you're not and need to be.

There are only those two options.

You're either living loosely or tightly according to the Kingdom perception.

In or out. No gray area.

Jesus didn't stutter. "In order to see the Kingdom of God, you MUST be born-again."

What a great time of year to give your heart to Christ. What a great time to "tighten up" your relationship with Him.

That my friends is a Christmas to remember!

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><

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