What’s
in a name? Well, actually….quite a lot. Jesus, which means, “The Lord
saves” is the name given to Joseph by the angel, with the command that
this is to be the name of the one who was born of the Virgin Mary. Pastor Walter Snyder offers this post for this day:

This
major feast day of the Christian Church marks the infant Jesus’ eighth
day of life. At this time, the Law required all boys of Israel to be
circumcised (cf. Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:1-3).

On this day, our Savior also received His name (Luke 2:21). This fulfilled the command given to both Mary (Luke 1:31) and Joseph (Matthew 1:21) during their angelic visitations.

Christ’s circumcision placed Him fully under God’s Law. His name
Jesus, from the Hebrew “Joshua” (meaning “Yahweh saves” or “He saves”),
bespeaks the purpose for which He assumed human flesh and came to live
among us.

For more on this Christological feast, including the reason for using this particular date for the remembrance, please see On the Eighth Day of Christmas and Christianity and New Year’s Day at Ask the Pastor, Jesus! from Rev. Cwirla’s Blogosphere, and the 1 January 2007 entry from Jay Winters’ Saints and Days: The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus.

Lection

Psalm 8
Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 2:21

Collect

Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law
and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true
circumcision of the Spirit that our hearts may be made pure from all
sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.