Category: Circumcision And Naming Of Christ - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Luke 2:21 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

1/10/2021

1/10/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus is extremely short, at just one verse. But what an action packed verse!

First, the date given is eight days after Jesus' birth. We recall that everything was created in six days and that God commended the seventh day as a day of rest. Work started up again on the eighth day. This is probably why God has people circumcised on the eighth day. It's time to rise up and get back to work! Here, in Luke 2, Jesus, the Son of Man, is brought out and shown to be busy about his work, even though he is still an infant.

Jesus' work is twofold. First, he is circumcised. He is counted as part of God's covenant people. He takes his role as the Son of Man. Second, he is given the name Jesus, which means "God Saves." This is the name which was appointed for him. Every time someone uses his name, there's a proclamation of God's ability to save us from sin.

God the Son is no longer a stranger to us. He has come to carry on the work of God, a work of redeeming the world, presenting us to God without sin or stain. In our lives, then, we pray the Lord would continue what he has begun, redeeming us together to be in God's presence.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Galatians 3:23-29 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

1/9/2021

1/9/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Galatians 3:23 speaks of our life as captives until we are freed by the Gospel. This idea of enslavement and freedom is a common motif in the Bible. It's also one of the easiest to misunderstand.

Are we in jail under the law? Is that the idea Paul is getting at? And if we are in jail, why is that? People can be imprisoned for all sorts of reasons. They may be paying a penalty for crimes. They may be incustody so they don't harm anyone. They may be there so they don't hurt themselves. They may be in protective custody so nobody kills them. We really can't predict it based on the location.

Paul says we were captive under the law. Maybe we were more like a child is a captive. The toddler might still use a crib to prevent midnight toddles. The child with a tricycle or training wheels is not ready for the motorcycle. The young teen with a small bank account is learning about finance in a safe environment.

We, in captivity under the law, could learn about God's principles and values. We could see how the world works. We could see what Jesus cares about and what he saves us from. We had Jesus as our guardian.

What happens as we grow up in faith? We become like adult children of Jesus, children who are pleasing to him. We have taken on his values, his concerns, his character, so we can walk in his truth even if we don't think he is watching.

The Christian, then, learns to be a child of God by faith. This is itself a gift of God. It is for the good, both in us and our neighbors. It brings glory to God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Psalm 8 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

1/8/2021

1/8/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Most children go through a time period of fascination with the world of wild animals. I remember my daughter and one of her friends spending hours catching insects, mostly ants, and putting them into a little screen box, then watching them with magnifing glasses. And what child (or adult) isn't pleased when a butterfly lands on a finger? You always used to see aquariums in the waiting rooms of physicians and dentists, so you could watch the fish doing nothing in particular. This has sadly been replaced by television screens where you can watch Hollywood personalities doing nothing in particular. I'll take the fish any day.

What does this have to do with Psalm 8? In Psalm 8, the man, the son of man, has been placed a little lower than the angels and has been given dominion over all nature. As this passage speaks of the role of Jesus, God the Son, it also reminds us that we have innate interest in doing what He did. Like my daughter, Jesus doubtless went through times in his youth when there was hardly anything more fascinating than to watch ants or worms. My other daughter, when we went on a vacation trip once, said her favorite thing was that she saw a duck on a pond. We could have done that free.

Jesus cares about this world, about the wildlife, and about our life. He is the one who has been given dominion over it all. How much more does he care about you than he cares about the flock of turkeys that come by my office and look in the window? He really does care about you and me in a special way. His name is majestic. And he has chosen to watch over you and see that you are all right.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Numbers 6:22-27 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

1/7/2021

1/7/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Numbers 6:22-27 is a passage of blessing we frequently use, especially at the end of a church service. Specifically, the threefold blessing in verses 24-26 comes out of our mouths regularly, usually accompanied by making the sign of a cross over a congregation.

We don't often think about the impact of such passages, but it pays to do so at least once in a while.

First, the passage is Trinitarian in nature. There are three specific movements in it, all having to do with the acts of the Lord. Any time we see a group of three in the Bible, we want to consider whether it is a sign of the Trinity. Here there is little doubt. The Lord's title is repeated very deliberately.

Second, we want to realize that Hebrew poetry is normally based on some sort of parallelism. Here, each of the lines has two elements. It's a triangle of parallels. Often when we see parallelism, it's in couplets - groups of two. Here, however, we have a group of three.

Notice the first element of each is very similar. Blessing, making his face shine, and lifting up his countenance, all are the same action. When God looks upon his people, he brings good. He is the God of blessing. He looks at us to see what would be good to do for us. This should give us great comfort.

The second element of each of the three lines shows a strong similarity as well. God keeps us, is gracious to us, and gives us peace. These are the ways he blesses us, and they are very similar to each other. How does he keep us? He keeps us in his grace. He keeps us in peace.

Apart from the Lord's blessing, we have no light of God shining on us. We have no confidence that we will be guarded in all our life by his presence. But with the Lord's name being placed upon us in blsssing, we can trust that he will be with us, watching over us, giving us all his blessings, all our life.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 2:21 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ

12/29/2016

12/29/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The Gospel for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ is very brief - Luke 2:21. Here Jesus is circumcised and given the name commanded by the angel at the time of his conception. Why would this detail be saved for us in the New Testament? Very simply, Joseph and Mary valued God’s commands. God the Son also values the commands given through the Holy Spirit. After all, as we confess, there is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with one will. This one God has given us His word and looks for us to trust his will to be revealed in his word.

Jesus, the Savior, born under the law, come to complete the demands of the law on your behalf, submitted to those demands. He was circumcised on the eight day, according to the law and also in accord with God’s promise to lay his covenant blessings upon Jesus.

Are we willing to trust that God in his Word has given us what we need to live as partakers of his promise in Christ? This is a great blessing. May the Lord use us as we seek to live in accord with his will.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Galatians 3:23-29 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ

12/28/2016

12/28/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ is from Galatians 3:23-29. Here we read of the work of the Law as compared to the work of the Gospel. Paul viewed the Law as that which would guard us and guide us until Christ. Sometimes the word used of the Law is mistranslated, as it was in the King James version, as a “schoolmaster,” or, as in the New King James, as a “tutor.” In current English both words give the idea of the Law as an educator which will make our understanding complete. Yet the term Paul uses never refers to the educator. It refers to someone who acts as a guardian, at least in some instances. For instance, this would be the person who made sure students arrived at school. It would be the person who delivered people for their obligations. It might be the person who forced children to do their homework. It was not the teacher, but the guide and enforcer.

How is the Law functioning? It points us to our need for Christ. It drives us to his grace. It shows us our need for a savior. Then, at the right time, Jesus comes and we are justified by grace.

Is this a theoretical concept only? Not at all. Paul goes on to say that “we” were justified. He speaks of putting on Christ as clothing through baptism. He speaks of the result of that baptism being a standing as one in Christ. The boundaries of Jew and Greek, slave and free, have been taken away.

Why did I skip the “male and female” thing? Here’s why. In the Greek text there’s a “neither” between the first two pairs. Between “male” and “female” there is the connective that means “and” or “even.” The emphasis that Paul has is not that there is no distinction between male and female. It is that for both male and female the distinctions of ethnicity and social class have broken down. He is not saying that men and women have the same roles in Christ. He is saying that they are alike able to stand before Christ, clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

God’s Law is great. It is necessary. It brings us to Jesus so we can find grace to stand.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Numbers 6:22-27 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ

12/27/2016

12/27/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Old Testament reading for January 1, the Circumcision and Naming of Christ, is from Numbers 6:22-27. In this passage, normally referred to as the Aaronic blessing, God calls for the blessings of his name to be placed on his people.

In circumcision, as in baptism, God’s name is placed on his people. This is an important event. Not only are they identified with God in a formal way, but the blessing of God is placed upon them. When God has commanded to bless his people we should expect that he will keep his word. The people are blessed. The Lord will guard them. The Lord will indeed look upon his people. He will show mercy to them. The Lord’s attention will be drawn toward his people and he will give them peace.

The day of Christ’s circumcision and naming reminds us that Jesus himself, God the Son, receives the name commanded by the angel. He is both a partaker of God’s blessing and the one who brings God’s blessings to all nations. As God had promised, in the seed of Abraham all nations would be blessed. This is a sure and certain promise.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Psalm 8 - Lectionary for Circumcision and Naming of Christ

12/26/2016

12/26/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Psalm 8 is appointed for reading at the celebration of the Circumcision and Naming of Christ. As we reflect on the words of the Psalmist we realize the enormity of God’s love for his creation. He has taken all his creation and shown care for it. He cares not only in theory but also in regard to all the different types of animals. Wild animals, livestock, birds, fish, all are important to the Lord. He knows even the roads the fish take through the water. This is part of God’s glory. He has created everything and sustains it.

Why is this Psalm especially appropriate for the occasion? Why would we use it when we remember Christ’s naming and circumcision? Verse two points us to the strength of God being expressed through the mouths of babies. Verse four refers to “a man...the son of man.” What kind of a son of man is this? Surely it is Christ. He is the one who has come down from heaven. He is the one who has a crown of glory and honor. He is the one with dominion of all creation. He is the one to whom all creation is subject.

In love for you and for me, God has placed all creation in submission to Christ, the one who will put an end to enmity and strive (verse 2). This show of God’s majesty is expressed in his care for God the Son, embodied now in the flesh of a small child.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.