Luke 2:12 (WEB)

Passage

This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

Nearby Context

Luke 2:10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

Luke 2:11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

Luke 2:13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sign", "find", "baby", "wrapped", "strips", "cloth", "lying", and "feeding". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sign" and "find", 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 today..." into verse 13's "Suddenly there was with the angel a...", so "sign" and "find" 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 "find" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.