The Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus - December 31, 2010

The Church Season of Christmas,
New Year’s Day,
The Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 31, 2010)

“My Name”

Readings: 
        Psalm 8    
        Numbers 6:22-27       
        Romans 1:1-7   
        Luke 2:21   

Sermon Form:    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Lesson from the 6th chapter of Numbers:

Numbers 6:22-27 (NIV)

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

(Aaronic blessing roughly phonetically translated)
24    ye-va-re-khe-kha    YHWH   ve-yish-me-re-kha
25    ya-er   YHWH   pa-nav   e-ley-kha   vi-chun-ne-ka
26    yi-sa  YHWH  pa-nav  e-ley-kha  ve-a-sem   le-kha  Sha-lom

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The words just read are strange words to our ears, words from the past,  words that are not understandable, words certainly not of the present, nor of the future we look forward to on this night.  But, because they come from the past doesn't mean that they have no impact on our lives.  These words, no matter how strange they sounded, are words we do know for they are known to us as the Aaronic blessing, Words spoken by God to Moses, and to us.  And Moses was to share this Word with His brother Aaron and with his sons, to bless God’s people.  It is the promise of God to put his Name on His people, it is the Word of God’s promise to protect and deliver them.  On the eighth day after His Christmas birth, according to the Law of Moses, our Lord was circumcised and then He received the Name.  And the Name given to Him was the one which the angel had spoken to Joseph, “you shall call his Name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. “(Matthew 1:21)  God had exalted His only Son by sending Him into our world, “and given Him a Name which is above every Name. “(Philippians 2:9)

That Aaronic blessing is the one we still use at the end of our worship services.  And so therefore all our worship services, all that we utter in our praise and we return in thanks occurs surrounded by God’s Name, beginning with the words, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit” and ending with placing God’s Name upon you and blessing you as you depart.  And be sure to note, the service is not ours, it is God’s for all that occurs between those two blessings are gifts delivered from God, in His Holy Name.

“But what is in a name?  That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”  That’s the familiar quote from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, and the quote reflects Juliet telling her Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, that Juliet loves the person called Montague, she did not love the Montague name nor his family, she loved him.  But this Jesus, this Name, this Rose E’er blooming of Jesse’s seed is Him whom we have all sung these words,

 “1.....prophets have long sung,
        He came a flow’ret bright,
    amid the cold of winter,
        when half spent was the night.
 4    O Savior, child of Mary
        Who felt our human woe;
    O Savior King of glory,
        Who dost our weakness know:
    Bring us at length we pray
        To the bright courts of heaven,
    And to the endless day.”

(LSB#359:1&4)

Jesus is indeed the flower of which Isaiah foretold.  For in the incarnation of the One Named Jesus, YHWH joins creation to history.  The One who would be called Emmanuel, “God with us.”(Is. 7:14) For Isaiah guided by the Holy Spirit was looking forward to better days for his people and he knew they were yet to come.  And Isaiah spoke of those better times to come when it would be said, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6) Quite a list of names for the one who was to come.

But all those names do not make even half the joy we have when we hear our own name.  For it seems that the most important name in the 21st century is the name of the person which is looking back at us from our mirror.  And on this night we will not only celebrate ourselves, but we will celebrate with others, we will celebrate by going out or by staying home.  At while we sit waiting for the clock to strike midnight we wile away the hours recalling how fast the years have passed by or maybe by recalling the names of those who are no long with us to share our joy here in this world.  A New Year is upon us, we wish each other well, and that this coming year will be a happy one for all.

And also recall there is one more reason to celebrate this night, more important than any other and that is that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ has come for you.  “The Lord has blessed you and kept you; 25 the Lord has made his face shine upon you and He has been gracious to you; 26 the Lord does turn his face toward you and He always gives you peace.” The Lord has put His Name Jesus upon you and by His Name you will always be blessed, not just for a night foreshadowing a new year, but for you foreshadowing eternal life.  Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

+SDG+