On January first every year, Christians celebrate the day in which our Lord and Savior was circumcised and given his name “Jesus”. During Christmas Day services we hear about the titles given to the child from the lips of meek shepherds: “messiah”, “savior”, “Lord.” But it is on Holy Name Sunday, the first day of the new year, in which the child is given the name to match the titles. It is into this name, Jesus (meaning Jehovah (the LORD) saves) that we are baptized, that we are nourished, that we hope, that we live and move and have our being.
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.
Listen to the sermon here:
12-31-11 – Sermon – Seeing in the Waters of Baptism*
It was fitting that we celebrated this church holiday with the baptism of Devyn Piotrowski and thus began the new year by remembering the promises of being baptized in Christ.
Listen to the baptism here:
12-31-11 – Devyn’s Baptism
