Most of the world ushers in the New Year with a party. Drinking, dancing, game-playing, fireworks, sports, watching the ball drop. But without a savior all the New Year’s celebrations are quite meaningless.
People will look back at 2011 and look ahead to 2012, but if they really knew their spiritual condition they would not be laughing but crying. They would don funeral attire instead of goofy New Year's glasses that say 2012. For they would look back at the regrets and sins of life and see that they have no relief from such peril. Their sins still count against them before God. So too, they would look ahead and see the unknown of the future as a dark storm cloud. Not knowing what will befall them or if they will even be around this time next year. No amount of New Year’s resolutions will, without a savior, bring them the relief and comfort they need.
What is most needed for a truly joyous and blessed celebration of the New Year is not alcohol, or fireworks, or sports, or Dick Clark, or a giant light filled ball that does nothing but a 10 second drop. Rather, it is sins forgiven, life redeemed, and death conquered.
That is why, as silly as it seems, the church begins the year with the circumcision of Jesus.
How silly indeed, even ridiculous, that God established a covenant with this requirement. That to be a part of the people of God, to share in the blessing of forgiveness and life everlasting one must bear the mark of circumcision. It’s downright offensive and strange that this is the text to be considered at the beginning of the New Year.
But reason is not the judge here. If reason were to rule and judge in such matters, then we must also conclude it to be ridiculous and laughable that under simple bread and wine we are eating the true Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Or that simple water in Baptism washes the sin found in the depths of our heart. How much more ridiculous still that God would become a man, even more so, an infant. How ridiculous that God would die for anyone, let alone us.
Outwardly, for Abraham, it was nothing but cutting of flesh, yet he believed the Word of God and so it was counted to him as righteousness. Sins forgiven, life redeemed, death conquered.
People will look back at 2011 and look ahead to 2012, but if they really knew their spiritual condition they would not be laughing but crying. They would don funeral attire instead of goofy New Year's glasses that say 2012. For they would look back at the regrets and sins of life and see that they have no relief from such peril. Their sins still count against them before God. So too, they would look ahead and see the unknown of the future as a dark storm cloud. Not knowing what will befall them or if they will even be around this time next year. No amount of New Year’s resolutions will, without a savior, bring them the relief and comfort they need.
What is most needed for a truly joyous and blessed celebration of the New Year is not alcohol, or fireworks, or sports, or Dick Clark, or a giant light filled ball that does nothing but a 10 second drop. Rather, it is sins forgiven, life redeemed, and death conquered.
That is why, as silly as it seems, the church begins the year with the circumcision of Jesus.
How silly indeed, even ridiculous, that God established a covenant with this requirement. That to be a part of the people of God, to share in the blessing of forgiveness and life everlasting one must bear the mark of circumcision. It’s downright offensive and strange that this is the text to be considered at the beginning of the New Year.
But reason is not the judge here. If reason were to rule and judge in such matters, then we must also conclude it to be ridiculous and laughable that under simple bread and wine we are eating the true Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Or that simple water in Baptism washes the sin found in the depths of our heart. How much more ridiculous still that God would become a man, even more so, an infant. How ridiculous that God would die for anyone, let alone us.
That is what is needed above all else.
With this savior, who bears the requirement of the law in circumcision, spilling his precious blood for the sins of the world, you may now look back at the past year and see that none of your sins damn you. You can look too to the future and see that the New Year will most assuredly be filled with trouble and sin, but so too will it be filled with the presence of your savior who will never leave you, and whose blood atones for all your future sin as well.
So as you plan your New Year, plan to frequent the place where you may receive the goods of Christ. Hear from the pulpit and taste from the altar what is needed more than anything else for a blessed New Year, sins forgiven, life redeemed, death conquered, for you.
A Blessed New Year to you in Christ!
