New Years’ Day – Christmas 1 Luke 2:21

January 1, 2017

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It isn’t very often that Christmas and New Year’s fall on a Sunday. That probably doesn’t matter too much for Christmas, but our congregation doesn’t normally have a New Year’s Day service, so when it falls on a Sunday we have an opportunity to focus on an event in Jesus’ life that usually slips by without much notice. As the world celebrates New Year’s Day, the church celebratesthe 8th day of Jesus’ earthly life, and if you know your OT you know that on the 8th day God commanded that all baby boys in Abraham’s family line were to be circumcised. On that day they also were given their name. Luke records this event in Jesus’ early life with a single verse, “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21) We almost miss it, but it is loaded with important truths for us. So let’s put those two things together – the beginning of a New Year and the circumcision and naming of Jesus – under one main thought: Begin the Year in Jesus’ Name.

  1. His name tells us why he was born

The name Jesus was really a pretty common name among the Jews. In the OT we put it into English as "Joshua." You probably remember the most famous "Joshua" in those days. He was Moses’ right hand man, who took Moses’ place as leader of the Children of Israel and led them in conquering the land of Canaan according to God’s promise. In Hebrew “Joshua” means "the LORD saves." Joshua certainly lived up to his name, but the OT tells us that another “Joshua” would come to save us from more than nasty Canaanite. That one will save his people from their sins. In a later version of the Hebrew language, Aramaic, we pronounce it “Yeshua”, “Jesus”, the name the angel had told Mary and Joseph to name him.

As we enter a new year we begin in Jesus’ saving name. His name isn’t "the LORD judges" or "the LORD condemns" or "the LORD lets you get away with everything." It's “the LORD saves”. That's why he was born: to save you and me and all people from their sins. In spite of all our good intentions and New Year resolutions, every single one of us are going to fail and fall short of the kind of people God wants us to be. We’ll disappoint ourselves and others and we’ll feel the guilt of our failures. But God gave his Son the name “Jesus – the LORD saves” and then put that name on us in our baptism. In every failure Jesus calls us to remember that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)Jesus will be your Savior every day in 2017. That is why he was born.

  1. His circumcision tells us how he would save us

When you think of it, circumcision is a harsh, bloodyprocedure. It is still done today for hygienic reasons, but it had a very special meaning for Abraham and his descendants. God gave it to Abraham as “the sign of the covenant between me and you.”(Genesis 17:11) That covenant was the promise to send a Savior through Abraham’s family line. Circumcision sealed that promise for Abraham and for all his descendants, and they carried it in their bodies as a permanent reminder of God’s unchanging promise. Those who believed God’s covenant promise through the coming Savior would be saved.

Centuries later Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day, just as God had commanded. He was a descendant of Abraham, but much more. Jesus came to fulfill God’s covenant to Abraham. Jesus put himself in our shoes under God’s law so he could live our life for us as God requires. Every last commandment. Every last thought, word, and deed - Jesus lived it purely and perfectly. And that counts for you. Jesus’ circumcision guarantees that this little child will save you by living your life that you should have, but have not.

And He will save youby shedding his blood. Jesus shed that first blood when he was circumcised, showing that he also came todie your death under God’s severe judgment for sin. Jesuswould suffer the price for breaking God’s commandments. The sin in your nature that produces all the sins in your life – all of itwould be laid on himand counted as his. Your Savior will shed his blood, today with a knife, later with a crown of thorns, scourge, and nails, because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22)

Circumcision guaranteed that a Savior would be born for us.That promise now has been fulfilled.Eight days after He is born, the Lord puts himself under the law and sheds His blood for us.The LORD saves His people. Joshua, Jesus. As we sing in one of our Christmas songs, “He serves that I a lord may be – a great exchange indeed! Could Jesus’ love do more for me to help me in my need?”(CW 41:5)

  1. His name claims us as his own

God fulfilled his covenant promise in circumcision and has replaced it with a new covenant promise through the gentle water of baptism. Instead of pointing ahead to the coming Savior, baptism assures us that the gracious Savior has come and has put his name on us. Just as faith claimed God’s promise in circumcision, our faith claims his gospel promise in baptism. The Lord saves. Your sins have been forgiven. You are a child of God.

Jesus reinforces his baptism promise of forgiveness by giving us his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. It, too, reminds us that our Savior is with us every day of our lives. Can you think of a better way to enter 2017? The Lord who loves you is on your side and is physically present in your life!

  • Jesus knows what you face every day: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.”(Hebrews 4:16)
  • Jesus is living proof of God’s good will toward you: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”(Romans 8:32)
  • Jesus gives purpose to your life: “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:15)
  • Jesus gives security to your life: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matthew 28:20)

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in the Name of Jesus! Amen.