Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Text: (Luke 2:21)
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.
Mëë ci ni̱n da̱ŋ bädäk thuuk, cua gua̱a̱th cuelä gatdä. Kä cua ciötdɛ cɔl i̱ Yecu. Ɛ jɛn ciöt ëë ca ka̱m jɛ ɛ jääk nhial ni mëë /ka̱n jɛ ni ruet ɛ man.
Prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Today’s Gospel, I think, is probably the shortest gospel reading in the entire lectionary. I don’t know that there are too many other gospel readings where there is only one verse of the bible that is read.
Today is the first day of a January, New Year’s Day; and in the history of the church, the readings for January 1 celebrate an event in Jesus life that took place when he was eight days old. January 1 is the eighth day after Christmas, and is the day when the church remembers that Jesus was circumcised and when he received his name.
In older times, it seems as though a baby boy wasn’t given his name when he was born, but rather when he was circumcised. These two things go together. And this custom was carried forward into the New Testament by Christians, who named their child when it was baptised. You might remember in the news in the last few years that the Danish royal family do it like this, that their children are not given their names until they are baptised. This is such a nice custom, because it shows that it’s more important what God calls the child rather than what people call the child. The child’s name is written in God’s book of life, and this determines what people call it, not the other way around.
And so there are basically three parts to this reading:
1. The first thing is, that at the end of 8 days, Jesus was circumcised. [Cua gua̱a̱th cuelä gatdä]
2. On the same occasion, he was given the name Jesus. [Cua ciötdɛ cɔl i̱ Yecu.]
3. This name was given by the angel when he was conceived in the womb. [Ɛ jɛn ciöt ëë ca ka̱m jɛ ɛ jääk nhial ni mëë /ka̱n jɛ ni ruet ɛ man]
So the first thing we will meditate on today is the fact that Jesus was circumcised.
Now why is this significant?
In the Old Testament, circumcision is a mark that belongs the Jewish people as God’s chosen people, and also as a holy family. The Jewish people were God’s chosen people. They were the ones to whom God spoke his words of prophecy. It was from the Jewish people that the prophets came. The Jewish people were the people who preserved the words of God. St Paul says in Romans 3: The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God [Ci Kuoth ruacdɛ ka̱m ji̱ Juudh.], or as the writer to the Hebrews calls it, the living and active word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword [Ruac Kuɔth tëkɛ, kä lätdɛ elɔ̱ŋ, leny muɔthdɛ muɔth thɛpä mi ca thɛr kui̱cnikɛ da̱ŋ rɛw].
Now the Jewish people then, or the men of the Jewish tribes, were marked with a covenant of circumcision, in the flesh. And the mark designated them as a holy family, a holy tribe, a holy people, the guardians and preservers of the words of God.
And if you wanted to become part of the God’s church, God’s holy people, before the time of Jesus, then you had to become part of this family: and if you were a man, this meant undergoing the ritual of circumcision.
In the New Testament, Christians do not perform this ritual any more. Instead, we are baptised. (Thank God for that! For one thing, they might have to send pastors to seminary for an extra few years: baptising is a lot easier!) With baptism comes something that is better than circumcision: We are not marked in the flesh, but we are sealed with God’s own Holy Spirit. In Holy Baptism, we are washed not just with water, but with the Word of God, the blood of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus says: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God [Mi /ka̱n raan di̱eth kɛ pi̱ kɛnɛ Yiëë, /cɛ dee wä cieŋ kuäärä Kuɔth.]. Paul writes in Titus: God saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, but he washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit [Kuoth ci kɔn kän, kä /ciɛ kui̱ lätni cuŋni tin canɛ la̱t, kä ɛ kui̱ kɔ̱cä lɔaacdɛ, kɛ la̱k in ci kɔn moc kɛ tëk mi pay tuɔɔk Yiëë in Gɔaa in Rɛl Rɔ]. Also in Ephesians, St Paul calls baptism a washing of water with the word [la̱k kɛ pi̱ kɛ riet].
When Jesus was born into the world, he brought salvation to all people, not just to the Jewish people, but also the Gentiles, like most of us today in the church. And so everything in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. All the promises of God have their Yes in Him. [Kɛ ɣöö ɛ jɛn ɛn nin nyin Kuɔth diaal tin cɛ lar ɛ ɣöö "Ɣɔ̱ɔ̱n” rɛydɛ.] And so, the total forgiveness of sins and the full reception of the Holy Spirit were not given to the Jews. They were still looking to the future for these things. For the Jews, it is important that they preserved the family, and it was from this Jewish family that the Messiah, the Christ, would come. Christians believe that this person was Jesus. And so, now that Jesus Christ has come into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, we receive the full forgiveness of sins, and the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit with all his gifts from heaven. And so, baptism is not simply given to men like circumcision, but to both sexes, men and women, because both men and women receive the full forgiveness of their sins and the full measure of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. St Paul says in our epistle reading today: For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [Kä ca yɛ lak kɛ matdun kɛ Kritho, cia rɔ̱ kum kɛ Kritho. Cia cu thil raan Juudh kiɛ Gɛ-rith, kä cɛ thil kuany kiɛ ram mi lɔr, kä cɛ thil wut kiɛ ciek, kɛ ɣöö yɛn diaal lapɛ kɛl rɛy Kritho Yecu.]
In the first chapter of Matthew, we read the genealogy of Jesus. And the first words of the gospel of Matthew say: The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. [Warɛgak gua̱ndɔɔŋni Yecu Kritho, gat Dee-bid, gat A-bɛ-ram.] And then we see Jesus’ family tree all laid out from Abraham to King David, from King David to the time of the exile into Babylon, and then from the exile into Babylon up to Jesus. The genealogy in Matthew starts with Abraham. Abraham was the first person to be circumcised. The covenant of circumcision was first given to Abraham. And so the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew shows the history of the circumcised people, the Jewish people.
Recently, at our youth bible study in Morwell, one of the boys asked me, “What happens in the family tree after Jesus?” Now we all know the answer to this ahead of time. Jesus wasn’t married, he didn’t have a wife, and he didn’t have children. The family tree ends with Jesus. But now if you want to be part of Jesus family, you don’t have to become a member of the Jewish family, you don’t marry into Jesus family, you’re not born into Jesus’ family by being simply born from your mother, but you’re baptised into Jesus family. The gospel of Matthew shows us the whole history of Jesus’ family – at the beginning we see his ancestors, the people who belonged to the covenant of circumcision. And at the end of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us about the future of his family: He says, Make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. [Jakɛ naath kä jil kɔaarä rɛy dööri diaal, kä lakɛ kɛ kɛ ciöt Gua̱a̱r in te nhial, kɛ Gat, kɛ Yiëë in Gɔaa in Rɛl Rɔ.] In the Christian church, we are made part of Jesus family: the family which is born again through water and the Spirit, the family which all drinks of the same Holy Spirit. But we are not Jesus’ descendants: we are his brothers and sisters. Jesus says: “My mother and my brothers [and sisters] are those who hear the word of God and do it.” [Maar kɛnɛ dämaari [kɛnɛ nyimaari] kɛ nɛy tin liɛŋkɛ ruac Kuɔth kä la̱tkɛ jɛ.] We don’t enter heaven because we are Jesus’ great-grand children, we enter heaven because he makes us his equals, his brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ himself comes to us and he brings us to God the Father with him, and he says: “These people are with me: they’re with me, I’ve died for them, they are covered with my blood, they are my friends, my family.”
What a wonderful thing that Jesus does for us! All the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus. [Kɛ ɣöö ɛ jɛn ɛn nin nyin Kuɔth diaal tin cɛ lar ɛ ɣöö "Ɣɔ̱ɔ̱n” rɛydɛ.] What a wonderful thing it is to be baptised and to share with Jesus his baptised life! What a wonderful thing it is to be covered with his blood, and forgiven of all our sins, and to drink from the deep wells of the same Holy Spirit! What a wonderful thing it is to be part of Jesus family, born again by water and the Spirit!
But there’s one more gift today in today’s reading that we haven’t talked about much yet. The circumcision of Jesus shows that he is born into Abraham’s family and has arisen from the midst of God’s chosen people.
But also, on the same day, Jesus was given his name.
We read: 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. [Mëë ci ni̱n da̱ŋ bädäk thuuk, cua gua̱a̱th cuelä gatdä. Kä cua ciötdɛ cɔl i̱ Yecu. Ɛ jɛn ciöt ëë ca ka̱m jɛ ɛ jääk nhial ni mëë /ka̱n jɛ ni ruet ɛ man.]
Now, most children are not given a name before they are conceived. Sometimes, if a woman becomes pregnant, the mum and dad might discuss what the names they would like to call their child when it is born. But this is after they know that the baby is there, already conceived.
Sometimes, a person might say, “if I ever had a baby, I don’t know when – I might call him Nimrod, or if it a girl, I’ll call her Pocahontas.” But this baby might never exist! This baby might be conceived one day, or it might not be.
But in our reading, we are reminded of that wonderful, brilliant event, when the angel Gabriel goes to the Virgin Mary and says: Greetings! Rejoice, highly-favoured one! The Lord is with you.” [Malɛ, ji̱n nyam mi ca poth! Kuoth a kɛɛl kɛ ji̱.]And then the angel says to the Virgin Mary: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. [/Cu dual, Mɛri, kɛ ɣöö ci puɔ̱th jek kä Kuɔth.] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” [Kä nɛn ɛ, bi ruët. Kä bi dap kɛ gat mi dho̱o̱l, kä bi ciötdɛ cɔl i̱ Yecu.]
And not only that, but the angel also went to Joseph in a dream, and said: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [Jo-thɛp, gat Dee-bid, /cu dual kɛ kuën ciëkdu ni Mɛri, kɛ ɣöö min rueetdɛ läthɛ Yiëë in Gɔaa in Rɛl Rɔ thi̱n.] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [Jɛn bɛ gat dap, kä bi jɛ cɔl i̱ Yecu, kɛ ɣöö ɛ jɛn min bi nɛɛkɛ kän kä dueerkiɛn.]
What a wonderful thing this is! A child is conceived by the Holy Spirit, and given a name: the name Jesus. And this name Jesus, has a special meaning: Jesus means “he saves”. Jesus is our Saviour. Jesus saved us from our sins.
And so out of obedience to this angel, both Joseph and Mary, who each had an angel speak this name to them, call the baby’s name Jesus.
And what a name this is! Let your 2012 be a year which is blessed by this holy name! This is a name that has come ringing out of the eternity on the tongues and lips of angels, and has now been imprinted in time, in our world, on this one little baby, Jesus. This name is our hope! It is our strength! It is our peace! May Jesus be a Jesus to you this year, may he be your Saviour! His name is always there and it is powerful – and Jesus invites you to use it, to imprint it on your mind, your heart. It is a name that makes everything right, because it is the name that brings forgiveness, salvation, healing, peace, life, goodness, perfection, to every situation in life, to every day, to every hour.
St Peter says in Acts 4: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among [people] by which we must be saved. [Kä thilɛ ka̱n teekä kä radɔ̱diɛn, kä thilɛ ciöt dɔ̱diɛn wi̱i̱ muɔ̱ɔ̱n mi ca ka̱m naath, min bi kɔn dhil kän.]
St Paul says in Philippians 2: At the name of Jesus every knee will bow [Kɛ ciöt Yecu, bi mua̱al diaal rɔ̱ goŋ.]
It is this name, Jesus, that was put on you, imprinted on you when you were baptised.
It is this name, Jesus, that is preached to you, and it is in this name, that your sins are forgiven.
It is this name, Jesus, that is spoken over you at the Lord’s Supper: The body of our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy precious blood strengthen and preserve you in body and soul until life eternal.
And it is this name which brings an end to the entire bible, at the end of the book of Revelation, and which will also bring this sermon to an end today:
He who testifies of these things says: “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [Ram min lat ŋɔaani ti̱ti̱, laarɛ jɛ i̱, "Ɛpuc bä mal ben." Inɔnɔ. Ku ben, Kuäär ni Yecu!] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. [A puɔ̱th Kua̱r ni Yecu tekɛ nɛy diaal tin ci Kuoth kɛ lɛy. Inɔnɔ.]
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your holy and precious name, which was given to Mary and Joseph even before you were conceived. As we begin a New Year, this 2012 today, we ask that you would bless this year with the holy and precious name of Jesus. We ask that you would stamp it and imprint it on this year and on everything we do, on everything we plan, and on everything we hope to accomplish. We pray these things before the throne of your Father in your name, our Saviour, Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment