“And Mary brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.” “And Joseph of Arimathea, when he had taken the body of Jesus, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock.” It's why He was born, you know. From the moment of His conception in the womb of startled Mary, to the day He died, commending that Mother to the care of St. John. He was wrapped up and laid in a manger, pointing us to the day He would be wrapped up and laid in a tomb. The wages of sin is death. Therefore Jesus is dead because He has taken our sins. They killed Him. But if they had been left on us, they would have killed us not just for this life but forever! But while they can take Jesus' life, they cannot keep Him down. Just wait 'til tomorrow! We know that not even the sins of the whole world could keep Jesus down! He has died for them, shed His blood, paid the price. But they are gone. Wiped away. The ransom is paid. The sacrifice has been made. The work is finished.
When Jesus was born, He was wrapped up in cloths. After He died, He was wrapped in more linen cloths. And when you were born, born from above, born of water and the Spirit, born from the holy font, you were wrapped in cloths. You were wrapped up and covered in the righteousness and holiness of Jesus. You were clothed with Christ! And now, BEFORE you die, you have been clothed with the clean linens of Christ. That means that just as Jesus rose from the dead, you will rise from the dead too. He goes first because He is the One who conquered sin and death. You will rise later because you have been clothed with Him and if death can't keep Him down, it won't keep you down either. Now, your grave is sanctified. Now, instead of the reminder of sin and eternal punishment, death is but a sleep, a nap until Jesus comes again. And He will wake you up and you will rise from the dead just as He does on Easter Day. Because all your sins have been paid for.
The Son of God comes into this world in the flesh. He is conceived in a womb like us. He is born like us. He lives like us. He suffers like us. He dies like us. But then He rises again. And we will rise like He did. So now it's not that He has become like us. It is that we are become like Him. Free of sin and death, safe in Christ Jesus. On this day, Jesus slept and rested in the tomb. When you were born from above, your Mother, the church wrapped you up in Jesus. When you die, she will lay you to rest wrapped in Jesus. Awaiting your resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus slept and rose. Amen.