The Best New Year’s Gift!
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Today begins the New Year. The month of January gets its name from the Roman god, Janus. He was special among the gods because his head had a face on both sides. His likeness was often placed on the top of the main entrance of a building because he could look at both coming and going. The way Civil Year works with the Church Year is interesting on this day. The Church Year begins with the season of Advent. Its starting date is determined by the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Because the birth of Jesus in the Church Year is a fixed date, the events that followed Jesus’ birth are counted from that date.
Our verse today was spoken by the angel that came to visit Joseph. He was struggling with the news that Mary had told him that she was pregnant and God was the Father. The angel verified Mary’s claim and gave Joseph this assignment: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” The day of circumcision was the day that an Israelite boy was officially named. It was the duty of the father to be present to name him. On the eighth day after Jesus’ birth, January 1, he was circumcised.
On the first day of our year, Jesus received the name, “The Lord saves.” The name of Jesus is the name that makes all the difference. What will the new year bring? We don’t know. But we know the One who is in charge. Yes, “The Lord saves!”
Lord Jesus, your name declares your mission. Continue to keep us in this New Year. Amen.