The Circumcision and Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Fasts and Feasts

Transcript
Welcome to Fasts and Feasts, a guided tour of the Church year. I'm your host, Jared Henderson. Today I'm teaching you about the Circumcision and Holy Name of Jesus Christ.
Today's episode has a complicated history. You see, for a long time there has been a feast on January 1, which for Western Churches also marks the eighth day of Christmas. This feast in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was called The Circumcision of Christ. However, the name and theme of this feast has changed quite a bit over time. The Roman Catholic Church takes January 1 as the Solemnity of Mary, and in 1979 the Episcopal Church renamed the feast to be the Holy Name. In 2000 the Church of England released Common Worship, a book of alternative prayers and services, calling the feast 'The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus Christ.' The Anglican Church in North America did something weird in response in 2019, calling the January 1 feast 'The Holy Name and Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ.' This is an interesting case where Protestant churches in the West are more in line with Eastern practice than with Roman practice, as Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches celebrate the Circumcision (though they do it on other days).
I find the renaming quibbles to be tiresome, and I don't want this weird history to distract us from the feast. This is a feast explicitly about Jesus, so let's try to keep the focus on Him.
Under the Law, passed down by God to the people of Israel, all Jewish boys were to be circumcised. Traditionally this circumcision accompanied the naming of the boy, and it occurred on the eighth day after birth. The canonical reference for this would be Luke 2:21.Why do we focus on this event so much if it only takes up a single verse of the Bible? Well, sometimes big events get short descriptions, and we're called to extract meaning and, following the example of Mary the Mother of God, treasuring them and pondering them in our hearts.I want to talk briefly about the significance of Jesus being circumcised and, later, presented at the temple. Jesus is said to have been in perfect obedience to the Law. And this is a good thing, because if Jesus were to violate the Law, then we would have a strong case that Jesus isn't God — after all, we'd have God making the rules and then breaking the rules. Instead, we have a savior who takes on our human nature, becomes incarnate in a particular place and time, and perfectly follows' God's commands. That includes being circumcised.
By being circumcised, Jesus as a young Jewish boy is given the sign of the covenant of Abraham. By being circumcised, Jesus tells us he is not here to replace or overthrow Judaism; Jesus is here to fulfill it. Jesus will eventually be baptized, giving us a new rite of initiation into the new covenant, but we will talk about that later. For now, we can say that Jesus' circumcision is great example of his general obedience to the Law. Getting clear on the grace of the Law is essential for a Biblical understanding of Jesus' life, ministry, and role as savior and Lord.We never want to confuse Law and Gospel, but we should always be clear about the connection between Law and grace. The Law was given to the people of Israel by God to allow them to structure their lives together and to grow in faith. This is grace! And we shouldn't forget that. Jesus' obedience to the Law helps remind us.
A closing collect

ALMIGHTY God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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