Luke 2:12 (KJV)

Passage

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Nearby Context

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

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For unto you is born this day..." into verse 13's "And suddenly there was with the angel...", so "shall" and "sign" 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 "shall" and "sign" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.