Luke 2:21
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
There are four themes that will be important to Luke’s gospel that he announces and intertwines in this brief verse.
Eight days. Jewish law required circumcision and naming on the eighth day. And Mary and Joseph obey. Indeed, as Luke will demonstrate throughout his account, Jesus’ parents – and later Jesus himself – will keep the law in every way. Jesus — whose name means “he will save” — comes indeed to save the world, but he does so as a thoroughly Jewish messiah.
He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel. Joseph and Mary are not only obedient to the law, they are obedient to God’s command. In some ways, this is one and the same thing, as the law embodies God’s will and expresses God’s command. But there is a dynamism to God’s unfolding will that will sometimes move beyond the domain of the law and so it is important that those who follow Jesus are attentive to the movement of the Spirit.
The name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. All comes to pass just as the angel foretold. The naming of Jesus brings this part of the story full circle, as all that the angel first announced to Mary has now come to pass. And so Mary learns here, as others who follow Jesus will learn at various points in the story to come, that God keeps God’s promises.
Righteous parents, obedient to law and Spirit, and a faithful God. Yes, we will encounter these three themes again; indeed, they form much of the heart of Luke’s incredible story.
Prayer: Dear God, keep us faithful to your command and your Spirit that we me trust your promises and dare deeds we otherwise would not imagine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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