Festival of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus
Posted on January 1, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 2:13-18 (NKJV)
2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Devotion
Hidden within this tragic passage is the promise of the resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus, even though a child according to His human nature, was also almighty according to His divine nature. He could have saved those children from Herod. Why didn’t He? Because He did not come to save men from earthly suffering, but to save men from sin. Suffering and persecution last only a short time, but sin kills forever.
When our Lord was circumcised, He was the Savior of all the circumcised—including those murdered boys of Bethlehem. Because He lives, they live in Him. And, because He rose from the dead, they will rise from the dead also. Circumcision was for the Old Testament; God’s people today are united to Christ in Baptism, but the same promise applies. When the Christ was baptized, He was the Savior of all the baptized. Because He lives, the baptized live. Because He rose from the dead, the baptized will rise from the dead. Our lives on earth are short and insignificant compared with the glory of the resurrection.
Collect: O merciful and eternal God, heavenly Father, who didst cause Thy Son to endure circumcision and to be made subject to the Law, that we might be redeemed from the curse of the Law: We beseech Thee, grant us grace to become partakers of this redemption and thus obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Sunday within the Octave of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Almighty and Everlasting God, direct our actions according to Thy good pleasure, that in the Name of Thy beloved Son, we may be made to abound in good works; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
