Bloghardt's Reflector

Ordinary. Just like us. In solidarity with us. Right where we are at. In this world. For us. That's Baby Jesus.

And there at His circumcision, Mary's Son was given the name Jesus. Jesus. That's His Name. Jesus. The name given to Joseph by the angel. “You shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.”

He is the Incarnate Son of God. He doesn't need to be marked or set aside. He doesn't need to be cut to be made a child of God. He is the only begotten of the Father. The grace, the favor of God already rests upon Him.

For you. Tonight, we see how much Jesus is for us and how much He is one of us. He is treated like just every other little Jewish boy.

And in doing so, God Himself does we cannot do. God Himself takes upon Himself the Old Testament Law, fulfills it, for us.

It was a simple very covenant between God and Father Abraham. Our word “covenant” comes from the Latin convenire. To come together.

And the Lord's coming togethers with men are always one sided - “I'll be your God, Abraham, and your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore Now that's some deal! You'll mark yourself and your sons as my children.”

That's how you became a child of God in the Old Testament. You are set aside, circumcised on the eighth day. If you were a woman, you were a child of God because of who you were connected to – Father or husband.

Simple deal. But... we didn't do live as children of God. We disobeyed His law. We broke every covenant that He made with us. Ignored every promise that He made. We do it daily. We do it much.

Make your new years resolutions. You should endeavor to do better. Do something. I wonder how many we'll have to remake next year because we will be broken them by February.

Sure, we may change a few things. I plan on losing more weight in the new year. But, fix the situation between God and me, I can't do that on my own.

The problem is my sin. Your sin too. My sin, they are ever before me. Troubling me. Yours too, right?

Agreement after agreement broken with God. Resolutions failed – failed sometimes right after making them. Repentance repented of. Until we can't put it off any more and our little evil hearts run out of beats and we stand before God.

And to such covenant breakers comes the Baby who has no reason to be circumcised, no reason to be set aside, no reason to be marked. He takes on what we cannot do and fulfills it.

And by fulfilling it ends frees us from it. Brings it to an end. Frees us to finally live for God, before God in righteousness and purity forever..

He does it with His blood shed. That's how covenants are made – The Hebrew word for “to make” a covenant literally means “to cut.” Covenants are “cut” in Hebrew.

Blood is shed. That's what seals the deal. And in this covenant, this testament, Christ is Himself the offering. And by His sacrifice, He saves you from what damns you: your sins.

He doesn't wait to get started on saving you. No days off. He begins at His birth. Then, before Jesus walks, before He talks, before He takes a step, before He crawls, before He can even hold his head up by Himself, His blood is shed for you.

Is shed. Passive. Someone else did it. Like when His blood was shed on the Cross. We pushed the crown of thorns down. We drove the nails. We pierced Him.

For you. For me. For all. He sheds His blood. To save us, to rescue us. To bring an end to the law and it's punishments.

To do for us what circumcision only pointed to in the future – to make us children of God.

You are a child of God, not by having done something for God. Nor did you make a deal or covenant with Him. He leaves nothing up to you. You are too important for that.

No, at the font, in the water, you were sealed, marked, covered, clothed. God's child. That's you.

There, at the font, you received your name. God the Father names you. You are His child. His Son. His own. He sets you apart. “My child. My Son.”

And so that you wouldn't doubt who you are in Christ, St. Paul says, “As many of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. “

You are even clothed with Christ. He Himself covers you. His righteousness covers our unrighteousness. His salvation covers our hell.

And faith.. faith receives and clings to His work. Faith lays hold of this promise as “for me.” Faith trusts that what the Lord did for you and splashed onto you is true. I am a child of God.

The Lord's gifts are not magic tricks that if we do them and then we are children of God. They aren't works that we do at all.

The Word and Sacraments deliver the work of the One who was born of Mary, circumcised on the eighth day, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died, and rose again for us on the third day. Faith, which is receiving Jesus, receives His gifts and we are saved.

Now, tonight the calendar changes from 2007 to 2008. How will your year go? I don't know. Will it go well? Will it be the same? Will it fly by? Are you just thankful that 2007 is in the rear view mirror with all it's hardships. Will 2008 suddenly turn in some direction you never expected.

No uncertainty. Not for you. You are a child of God. For the Lord was born and circumcised for you. He shed His blood for you. You bear His name. You are clothed with Him. Nothing you do happens apart from Christ in 2008.

No fear in the new year. He is merciful. He's working all things out for your good. He hasn't stopped doing that yet. He won't stop next year. He's going to carry you through – through bad, suffering, hardships, sickness, even death itself. Nothing will separate you from the love He has for you in Christ Jesus.

How do you know? How can I be so sure? Tonight, we hear how Christ when He was eight days old shed His blood for you. God the Father is always looking out for you, always working out salvation for you. Even when you aren't expecting it.

And that's not going to change in the New Year. He's only going to make it more known to you. So, end 2007 and begin 2008 with the Gospel one more time:

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.(Luke 2:21).

Merry Christmas and a blessed and Happy New Years to you and your family. INI. Amen.