Luke 2:12 (ASV)

Passage

And this [is] the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people:

Luke 2:11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 And this [is] the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sign", "shall", "find", "babe", "wrapped", "swaddling", "clothes", and "lying". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sign" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "for there is born to you this..." into verse 13's "And suddenly there was with the angel...", so "sign" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sign" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.