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05-Reflection of new year

The document reflects on the significance of New Year’s Day and the celebration of the 'Naming of Jesus' in the church. It highlights the Jewish tradition of naming and circumcising a first-born boy, emphasizing that the name 'Jesus,' meaning 'Yahweh saves,' was divinely chosen. The text draws parallels between Jesus and other biblical figures, illustrating how believers receive a new identity as 'children of God' through faith in Jesus.

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2 views

05-Reflection of new year

The document reflects on the significance of New Year’s Day and the celebration of the 'Naming of Jesus' in the church. It highlights the Jewish tradition of naming and circumcising a first-born boy, emphasizing that the name 'Jesus,' meaning 'Yahweh saves,' was divinely chosen. The text draws parallels between Jesus and other biblical figures, illustrating how believers receive a new identity as 'children of God' through faith in Jesus.

Uploaded by

rrclily
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reflection of the New Year’s Day

Num 6:22-27
Ps 8
Gal 4:4-7
Luke 2:15-21

For almost all over the world, January 1 is the New Year’s Day, and people celebrate it
with loads of new hopes and wishes for the coming year in heart. In the church, we are
celebrating today a maybe less known but no less significant festival, “the Naming of
Jesus.” Of course, there are many events in the life of Jesus worth remembering. Why is
this particular event chosen to celebrate?
As we might have learned, circumcising and naming a first-born boy on the eighth day
has been an essential Jewish tradition following God’s instruction. Mary and Joseph
certainly followed this practice and travelled to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate this
boy to God as the Law required. But the name “Jesus” was not out of their own choice
but chosen by God and passed to them by angel Gabriel. In fact, “Jesus” is the Greek form
of the name “Joshua” which means “Yahweh saves” in Hebrew. When Mary and Joseph
carried out this practice, even they knew his divine origin, it would be possible for them
to ponder in their hearts, “how could this baby boy fulfill his name in the future?”
Nevertheless, many Hebrew names are meaningful. For example, “Moses” literally
means “to draw out.” This name is surely fitting not only because he was drawn out of
the river to be saved but also more importantly because he drew his fellow Hebrew
people out of the slavery in Egypt. Now we all know that Jesus’ holy name is above all
names as he is our saviour and exalted by God.
When baby Jesus was circumcised and named in the Temple, the requirement of God’s
Law was fulfilled as later in his baptism by John and his identity as the first-born son of
the family and the son of David was also confirmed. Then, he is fully legitimate to
perform all of his rights and obligations in his own family and more significantly, in
God’s family. As Joshua led Israelites to conquer enemies and build up Israel as a nation
according to God’s covenant, Jesus the new Joshua leads all people to conquer the evil
and build up the Kingdom of God with the new covenant of his own blood.
We were all given names when we were born so that our identities in our families will
be confirmed. Under certain circumstances we change our names in order to suit our
new identities. In the Bible, we also see some people’s names are changed for new
identities in God. Abram changed to Abraham when God made covenant with him, and
Saul after experiencing miraculous conversion on his way to Damascus changed to Paul
and became apostle to the gentiles.
In the same way, as St Paul teaches us, when we believe in and invoke Jesus’ holy
name, we are given a new name “Christian” and a new identity: “children of God” so that
we can call God “father, daddy” and inherit the Kingdom of God because we are now
members of God’s family.
When we seek for blessings for a whole new year unfolding in front of us, nothing is
better than invoking his holy name: “Jesus, Emmanuel.” “Lord, save us!” “God to be with
us!”

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