Sermon: The Circumcision & Name of Jesus (Gospel)
1 January AD 2012
Sermon Theme: Named and Claimed
Summary: We live at a time where “name it and claim it” theology runs wild. Too many Christians are told that if they believe enough, pray enough, or do enough, God will give them whatever they desire. This is no new error but a mere repackaging of the first sin of Adam and Eve, wherein we are tempted to place ourselves above God and claim that we know what we need better than He does.
Contrast this to Jesus, who humbly submitted to the will of His Father. Instead of claiming the glory due Him, He humbled Himself and was born a human child. Instead of claiming all Creation as His birthright, He allowed His Father to stake and maintain a claim on Him.
The angel told Mary and Joseph to name Him Jesus, since He would “save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)” On His eighth day of life, that’s exactly what they did. At the same time, the Father established earthly claim on His Son through His circumcision. Thus did God name and claim Him.
Through Baptism, by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are now “sons of God, through faith. (Galatians 3:26)” God named and claimed us and maintains that claim as He continues placing His name on us through Word and Sacrament.
Text: 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. Luke 2:21
Note: Listeners from Sunday morning will detect a few differences between this recording and what they heard in church. This is due to a software error which necessitated my rerecording the sermon.
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Named and Claimed, preached for the saints of God at Trinity Lutheran Church, Kearney, Missouri.
Other Readings: Psalm 8; Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 3:23-29
For more on circumcision and related topics, please see Circumcision and Cutting a Covenant, New Testament Circumcision, and On the Eighth Day of Christmas at Ask the Pastor.
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Sermon Theme: Named and Claimed
Summary: We live at a time where “name it and claim it” theology runs wild. Too many Christians are told that if they believe enough, pray enough, or do enough, God will give them whatever they desire. This is no new error but a mere repackaging of the first sin of Adam and Eve, wherein we are tempted to place ourselves above God and claim that we know what we need better than He does.Contrast this to Jesus, who humbly submitted to the will of His Father. Instead of claiming the glory due Him, He humbled Himself and was born a human child. Instead of claiming all Creation as His birthright, He allowed His Father to stake and maintain a claim on Him.
The angel told Mary and Joseph to name Him Jesus, since He would “save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)” On His eighth day of life, that’s exactly what they did. At the same time, the Father established earthly claim on His Son through His circumcision. Thus did God name and claim Him.
Through Baptism, by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are now “sons of God, through faith. (Galatians 3:26)” God named and claimed us and maintains that claim as He continues placing His name on us through Word and Sacrament.
Text: 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. Luke 2:21
Note: Listeners from Sunday morning will detect a few differences between this recording and what they heard in church. This is due to a software error which necessitated my rerecording the sermon.
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Named and Claimed, preached for the saints of God at Trinity Lutheran Church, Kearney, Missouri.
Other Readings: Psalm 8; Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 3:23-29
For more on circumcision and related topics, please see Circumcision and Cutting a Covenant, New Testament Circumcision, and On the Eighth Day of Christmas at Ask the Pastor.
Technorati Tags: The Circumcision and Name of Jesus | Christmas | Three Year Lectionary | 3 Year Lectionary | Series B | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Incarnation | circumcision | Baptism | Holy Baptism | Holy Communion | Communion | Lord’s Supper | sacraments | name | naming | claim | claiming | Law | Law and Gospel | Gospel | 1 January 2012 | January 1, 2012 | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Church | Christian | Christianity | Christian Church | Luke 2 | sermon | text | theme | topic | Named and Claimed | audio | mp3 | Pastor Snyder | Pastor Walter Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor | Happenings
posted by Xrysostom | 22:42
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