He was Called Jesus
The Circumcision and Name of Jesus – 12/31/2024 (Observed)
Luke 2:21
Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer
The portion from God’s Holy Word for consideration tonight is our Gospel reading from St. Luke’s second chapter, which reads as follows:
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Circumcision is a difficult topic to discuss from the pulpit, given that it deals with a very private part of the body. And let me just say, if you don’t know what circumcision is, talk to your parents or someone else who knows. But above all, do not Google it. You’ll thank me later.
And so, tonight we have the unenviable task of seeing why this particular event is so important in the life of the Church, and, indeed, in our lives as Christians.
Circumcision was first commanded by God of Abraham in Genesis 17, where it was made the mark of the covenant promise given to Abraham and all his descendants. This promise was repeated to Moses and was taken as a perpetual ordinance among God’s people of the Old Testament.
Now, this may seem an odd thing, but we really ought not be surprised. Circumcision marked men as those in the promise of God, it was a sign that parents faithfully wished to transmit the promises of God to their children, and it was a constant reminder that God had marked this particular people as His. And the part of the body that was marked was no accident. Yes, God indeed meant for circumcision to be the sign of the covenant.
In Genesis 3:15, God promised that a single male offspring of Eve would be the one to crush the head of that great serpent, Satan. And, of course, this naturally involved human reproduction. So, as each generation came to pass the promise was carried forward.
This is all to say that the mark of the covenant that God gave to Abraham was such because of the plain fact that it is involved in the production of each new generation, both of those who would cling to the promise of salvation in faith, but also of the line that would lead to the Messiah, Christ our Lord.
In other words, this sign would designate the Old Testament Church as a peculiar people of promise, one that looked forward to the day when God’s promise of deliverance by the Christ would be fulfilled. And so, each man bore that mark on his very body, so that they would constantly be reminded of that promise.
And so, Christ submits Himself to be placed under this obligation of the Law. God, the very Author of the Law, submits Himself to it out of love. Christ did not place Himself under the Law He made by His birth in order to shame us to greater obedience by His perfect obedience. No, dear friends, He instead kept the Law that we could not keep. He obeyed all the commands we could not. He adhered to the Law where we have failed. And this is not simply to simply make the point that Christ is perfect and divine, instead, this is to show that He begins His task of fulfilling the Law where we cannot.
Indeed, dear friends, Christ does not come to suffer and die for no reason, but to live the life of a perfectly righteous man that He then gives to us in the place of our own sinful lives. Before God, those who are in Christ are pure and spotless because Christ has placed His own righteousness over us. He declares us righteous. He makes us righteous, not by any work or deed of ours, but by His perfect life and holy suffering and death.
And so, dear Christians, take heart here. Christ, even from infancy, had His perfect life set to one unavoidable end: He came to die for us, and thereby to ransom us back from sin, death, and the devil. He takes on our sins, our guilt, and dies our death. And in their place, He hands to us His salvation, life, and forgiveness.
Even the very Name given to Him means “the LORD saves.” As the Angel Gabriel commanded, the Lord’s parents named Him, “Jesus”, a sign of what this baby would grow to accomplish.
Isn’t this a strange thing? That God Himself would become a man only to suffer the worst humanity has to offer? That the very author of life would go to die in the place of His rebellious creatures?
Human reason bristles at such an absurd thing, but faith grabs hold of it. Just as the most desperate, drowning man clings to a life preserver, so faith clings to this absurd notion: that God became a man to die for men.
So, dear friends, if we missed it at Christmas, we surely cannot now. Christ has come only to save us, to deliver us, and to redeem us. He has His sights set on destroying sin, death, and the devil by turning death against them and itself. His whole earthly ministry was set on this end. And because of His death, you have the promise of life everlasting.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Luke 2:24 English Standard Version
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