Why don’t we celebrate New Year on Christmas Day?
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Since he was born under the Law, he became a model for all of us in keeping the Law; he had to fulfil the Law, and according to the Law of Moses a child had to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. According to the author’s explanation, the seven days between birth and circumcision were not counted in that person’s life. That is why we do not celebrate New Year on the day we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus in the flesh, but on the day of the circumcision, the Circumcision of the Lord, because it marks the beginning of the covenant between the man born under the Law and God Most High.
Circumcision began with Abraham: it is a covenant and pact between God and Abraham and his descendants. When Moses came with his Law, he confirmed this precept. So every boy born to that people, which at that time was considered the people of God because it was entrusted with keeping the Law and the prophecies, had to be circumcised to enter into the covenant with God. The Old Testament, with all its prophecies, bore witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his whole divine plan, hidden and revealed in the flesh. So we honour the Old Testament, especially the prophetic books; that is why the Apostle Paul says the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Law. Had he not been born under the Law, had Christ not been circumcised on the eighth day, he would not have been counted among that people, he would not have been allowed to the altar, the Temple of the Lord; he would never have been counted among that people. But he was circumcised because he was born of a woman, as the Apostle Paul says: born under the Law to redeem those under the Law, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might become children of God (Galatians 4:5).
In the Old Testament, when a child was circumcised, he was given a name. So when the Lord was circumcised he was named “Jesus”. Luke says in the holy Gospel: “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). When the child was circumcised he was called Jesus, as the angel of the Lord who appeared to Joseph in a dream had named him: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
What does the name Jesus mean? The name Jesus, or Yeshua in Hebrew, is a shortened form of Yehoshua, which is made up of two parts: “Yeho”, that is, Yahweh, and “shua”, “to save”. So the name Jesus, Yeshua or Yehoshua, means “Yahweh saves”. That is why the angel told Joseph: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), and the angel told the shepherds: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
Prepared by Rita, of the Sawt el Rab team
