“God Blesses Us with the Holy Name of the Circumcised Jesus”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
“Lord, bless and keep me as Your own;
Lord, look in kindness from Your throne;
Lord, shine unfailing peace on me
By grace surrounded; set me free.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
876:5)
Old Testament Reading......................................................
Numbers 6:22-27 (esp. 27)
27So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless
them.”
Prologue: Okay, I realize that many of you here today are eager to get home
so you can watch the grand New Year’s Day parades and the exciting football
games. Actually, so am I! So, let’s see if I can make this shorter and
sweeter than most of my sermons.
The crowning element of the liturgical worship service is the
Benediction. That word comes from the Latin language and means, simply, “a
statement of well wishing.” It’s God’s personal message to you that He
desires to go with you, to bless your toil and rest and pleasure, and to
guard and guide you. Notice that the key word is “bless.” That’s an
important Hebrew word that appears some 330 times in the Old Testament
beginning with Genesis chapter 1, verse 22 and ending with Zechariah chapter
11, verse 5.
Now in the sermon text for this first day of 2013, God
communicates to you His deep, abiding, and never-ending desire for your
spiritual and physical welfare as He does at the close of every divine
service. His divine blessing is one of mercy (a reminder of the certain
assurance that God will not give you the just punishment in the eternal
fires of hell that you deserve because of your sins) and grace (a reminder
that He gives you the free gifts of forgiveness of sins, salvation, and
eternal life in heaven that you don’t deserve). That’s why it’s so very
important to not rush out of the divine service before the pastor speaks God’s
blessing—His “benediction”—to you.
So, on this New Year’s Day hear and realize the meaningful
significance of that spoken benediction and carry it with you throughout
this new year and future years, namely, that …
“God Blesses Us with the Holy Name of the Circumcised Jesus.”
It was a religious ritual commanded by Yahweh Himself and first
administered to Abraham. It was a religious ritual whereby newborn Jewish
boys were marked as possessed by God and publicly named. It was a religious
ritual that involved the shedding of blood as a sign and seal of God’s
covenant with His chosen people, the Israelites, who were the bloodline that
God used to eventually birth the promised Messiah. It was a religious
ritual that pointed forward to Immanuel, who Himself would shed His holy
blood unto death on Calvary’s cursed cross for the redemption,
reconciliation, and salvation of mankind. It was a religious ritual that
found its completion in today’s Gospel Reading in which Saint Luke informed
us, “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.”
(St. Luke 2:21 ESV)
January 1 is designated in the liturgical church year as the date
to commemorate the “Circumcision and Name of Jesus.” An explanation of it
tells us that “Already on the eighth day of Jesus’ life, His destiny of
atonement is revealed in His name and in His circumcision. At that moment,
His blood is first shed and Jesus receives the name given to Him by the
angel: ‘You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from
their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). In the circumcision of Jesus, all people are
circumcised once and for all, because He represents all humanity. In the
Old Testament, for the believers who looked to God’s promise to be fulfilled
in the Messiah, the benefits of circumcision included the forgiveness of
sins, justification, and incorporation into the people of God. In the New
Testament, St. Paul speaks of its counterpart, Holy Baptism, as a
‘circumcision made without hands’ and as ‘the circumcision of Christ’
(Colossians 2:11).” (Treasury of Daily Prayer. Scot A. Kinnaman, General
Editor. Copyright © 2008 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page
1078.)
Today’s Collect captured the heart and soul of that when we
prayed, “Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law
and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true
circumcision of the Spirit that our hearts may be made pure from all sins …
.” In addition, Saint Paul declared its all-inclusive nature when he wrote
in today’s Epistle Reading, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God,
through faith. For as many of you as were baptized 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. And
if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to
promise.” (Gal 3:26-29 ESV)
How does that connect with the truth that “God Blesses Us with the
Holy Name of the Circumcised Jesus”? It does so by emphasizing that …
I. It’s the Lord’s Name and Blessing. (22-23)
22The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them … .”
Hey! It’s all about true worship that focuses on Jesus Christ and
recognizes that God speaks His care, concern, and compassion to you in all
the liturgical elements. In addition, it’s worship that includes
Spirit-motivated response from you in your confession of your sins,
confession of your faith, and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
also in the liturgical elements. After all, “A proclamation that the Lord
made to Moses reaches across all the centuries to the present. We still use
the Aaronic benediction in our church services. God gave it first to the
people of Israel for their worship life.” (Paul W. Kuske in People’s Bible
Commentary: Numbers. Copyright © 1996 Concordia Publishing House, St.
Louis, MO. Page 60.)
So it was that the Lord’s holy name formed the foundation for the
blessing. It was the name to be revered above all names. It was the name
about which God commanded, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your
God” and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther explained that “We should fear
and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or
deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and
give thanks.” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986,
1991 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 11f. & 61.)
In addition, it’s the name about which Jesus taught us to pray
“Hallowed be Thy name” and Doctor Luther explained that “God’s name is
certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept
holy among us also.” He then added, “God’s name is kept holy when the Word
of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God,
also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in
heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the
name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!” (Ibid. Pages
19 & 181f.)
It’s the name “Elohiym” by which God first identified Himself in
Holy Scripture, where it appears 2,596 times in the Old Testament. It’s a
plural noun with a singular meaning thereby referring to “the triune God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one divine being
(the Holy Trinity).” (Ibid. Pages 56 & 107.) Also, it’s the name “Yahweh”
by which God identified Himself 5,000 times throughout the Old Testament as
the covenant God, whose commitment was to rescue and redeem His people from
their sins, thereby directing our attention to the person and work of Jesus
Himself.
It’s the multiple names that Yahweh revealed through Isaiah, “For
to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be
upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6 ESV) It’s the sacred
names and titles that point to Jesus throughout Holy Scripture that include
“the angel of the Lord” referring to the pre-incarnate Christ, “Redeemer”
revealing that He was the ransom for sinners held captive by Satan,
“Immanuel” communicating that God Himself is present with us in the person
of Jesus, who was God clothed in human flesh, “Son of the living God”
referring to His divine nature, “Son of Man” reminding us of His human
nature, and “the Word” emphasizing that He who is the Living Word is the
ultimate object of all of God’s written Holy Word.
However, not only is it the Lord’s name and blessing, but …
II. The Lord’s Blessing Is Full of Divine Riches. (24-26)
24The Lord bless you and keep you;
25the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
And here is the glorious essence of this divine benediction. It’s
a trinitarian blessing that presents Yahweh as a merciful and gracious as
well as a just and righteous God, who proclaimed Himself to be “The Lord,
the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear
the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the
children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Ex 34:6-7
ESV) “Because the words of this benediction so clearly present God as the
God of free and faithful grace, this blessing is also gladly used in the New
Testament era. As Christians we choose this blessing to close our worship
services.” In so doing, “[you] can appreciate the truth that the triune God
acts on [your] behalf. As each of the divine persons carries out his work,
the triune God reaches out to bless all those who believe in the Messiah,
our Lord Jesus Christ. All three [persons of the Godhead] are involved in
our salvation.” (Paul W. Kuske. Page 61.)
In that regards note well that “The first phrase refers especially
to the work of God the Father. The blessing from the Father includes all
aspects of [your] life. Wherever [you] look, [you] can see how the Lord
blesses [you] through the physical, material possessions that he gives
[you].” It’s an Apostles’ Creed First Article thing about which “Luther’s
explanation … summarizes these blessings very concisely … .” In addition,
“our heavenly Father blesses and keeps [you] as he answers [your] requests
when [you] pray in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil.’” As a matter of fact, He so very often “keeps [you]
by preventing problems and dangers from overwhelming [you]!” At the same
time, “how loving the Lord is when he allows tests to come into [your]
lives, for he promises that he will also make a way of escape and that all
things will work together for good to those who love him.” Of course, “the
richest way in which the Lord blesses [you] is that he keeps [you] faithful
to the gospel to the end of [your] lives” at which time “he will deliver
[you] from this present evil world into the perfection of his glory in
heaven.” (Ibid. Pages 61f.)
Turning our attention now to the second phrase of this benediction
we discover that it “addresses the fact that human beings are sinful. By
birth man is in rebellion against God. The only hope for such lies in the
fact that God is gracious to [you]. How clearly [you] see God’s love for
[you] in the work of [your] Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” After all, it was His
humble birth, holy life, innocent suffering, crucifixion death, and majestic
resurrection from the dead in victory over sin, Satan, and death itself that
atoned fully and completely for your transgressions of thoughts, desires,
words, and deeds.
You see, the Apostles’ Creed’s Second Article confesses that “God
is gracious to [you] in Jesus.” In fact, “God’s grace—God’s undeserved
kindness to [you]” flows forth freely and generously. “For in Christ, God
shows his love to [you]—a deep, profound love that loves [you] also when
[you] deserve it least because of [your] sin.” Yes, “Just as the face of a
proud, new mother radiates love, so God looks at [you], covering all [your]
sins with the perfect redemption that Christ has purchased for [you].”
(Ibid. Pages 62f.)
That brings us to the third and final phrase of this benediction
in which “the work of the third person of the Trinity: God the … Holy
Spirit” is communicated with words that indicate “that the Lord gladly
looks upon each of [you] as individuals.” It’s absolutely amazing “How
wonderful this work of the Holy Spirit! He turns rebels into his children
by leading them to faith in Christ Jesus! He makes the blind to see by
leading them to Christ, the Light of the world. As the giver of life, he
gives life to those who are dead in trespasses and sin. Every believer is a
miracle of the Holy Spirit!” (Ibid. Page 63.)
As if that’s not more than enough, “In the miracle of conversion,
the Holy Spirit gives [you] peace because [you] know that through Christ
[you] are reconciled to (reconnected with) God. [You] also know with the
certainty of faith that as long as [you] are right with God through Christ,
everything in [your] life will also work out right for [you].” Because of
all that and more, you possess a God-given peace “that stands up in the
fiercest trials—yes, even in the face of death” itself. “What peace there
is to know that whether [you] live or whether [you] die, [you] are the Lord’s.”
(Ibid. Pages 63f.)
It’s a peace that flows forth from the divine promise in today’s
Gradual, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will remember
their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” (Heb 10:17 ESV) That means
that absolutely nothing can separate you from Him who comes to you in and
strengthens your faith through the reading and hearing of God’s Holy Word,
the blessed rescue of Holy Baptism, the reassuring comfort of Holy
Absolution, and the certainty of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life
that you receive in Holy Communion. “Angels proclaimed this peace [to the
migrant shepherds] at the first Christmas Eve: ‘Peace on earth, good will to
man.’ Jesus promised the peace from the Holy Spirit when he said, ‘Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27).” (Paul W. Kuske. Pages
63f.) And many pastors end their sermons with the Philippians chapter 4,
verse 7 reassurance, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil
4:7 ESV)
In conclusion, therefore, this turned out to be considerably
longer than I wanted it to be. However, I pray that its message has
impacted you so greatly that you will never leave the divine service prior
to the benediction. After all, God’s very own “divine power and love stand
behind each of the words in the benediction: ‘So they will put my name on
the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ The name of God was indeed on the
Israelites, for in the name Israel is the meaning ‘man of God.’ In the New
Testament that name is also on [you] as [you] claim the name Christian [that
was given you in your Baptism], which really means that [you] are followers
of Christ.” (Paul W. Kuske. Page 64.)
The crown of it all is the divine precious promise that …
“God Blesses Us with the Holy Name of the Circumcised Jesus.”
“This promise makes the benediction far more than mere words or a
pious wish. The Lord stands behind each word. As the triune God, he gladly
grants these blessings to each of [you].” Your appropriate response, then,
is simply as today’s Introit Antiphon stated, “May all who seek you rejoice
and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually,
‘Great is the Lord!’” (Psalm 40:16 ESV) because …
I. It’s the Lord’s Name and Blessing. (22-23)
and …
II. The Lord’s Blessing Is Full of Divine Riches. (24-26)
God grant it all throughout this New Year and beyond for the sake
of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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