New Year's Day / Feast of the Name of Jesus
The circumcision and naming of Jesus eight days after his birth.
Bibelsk grunnlag
"When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21). The name Jesus (Hebrew Yeshua/Yehoshua) means "The Lord saves." Circumcision according to Genesis 17:12 and Leviticus 12:3.
Betydning
Circumcision shows that Jesus submitted to the Mosaic Law and participated in the covenant with Abraham. Paul interprets this: "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law" (Galatians 4:4-5). The naming confirms God's plan of salvation—the child is the promised Savior.
GT-forbindelser
Genesis 17:9-14 concerning the covenant of circumcision with Abraham. Genesis 17:19 where God gives Isaac his name before he is born—a parallel to Jesus receiving his name from the angel before conception. Joshua (the same name as Jesus) who led the people into the Promised Land.
Liturgisk kontekst
White color. Coincides with the civil New Year's Day, but the liturgical focus is on the naming of Jesus, not the turn of the year. In older tradition, the day was called "Circumcisio Domini" (The Circumcision of the Lord).
Historie
The celebration is known from the 6th century. In the Middle Ages, the focus was on the circumcision and Jesus' first shedding of blood as a foreshadowing of the cross. After the Reformation, Lutheran churches placed more emphasis on the naming and the meaning of the name Jesus.