Today is New Year’s Day in the secular calendar, but in the Church Calendar it is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, also called the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord.
The reason for this is very simple: We celebrate December 25 as the day of Christ’s birth, and Luke 2:21 says that on the eighth day (January 1), Mary’s baby was circumcised and called “Jesus”: “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.”
Names are important in the Bible. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Jacob’s name to Israel. God chose the name of the Messiah’s forerunner and announced it by the angel Gabriel: “your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13). The same angel told Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).
For Christians, “Jesus” is the most precious name of all. My wife’s favorite gospel chorus is “There’s Something About That Name”:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.
What does the holy name “Jesus” mean to us?
First, the name “Jesus” reminds us of why he came: to save us from our sins. The name “Jesus” means “the Lord is salvation.” The angel told Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is our salvation. “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). Paul wrote, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). The Holy Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). We are “justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 6:11). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Second, the name “Jesus” reminds us that our Savior was truly human. Jesus is the name given to the newly born and circumcised child of Mary. Furthermore, “Jesus” was a common name among first century Jews. Colossians 4:11 refers to another man named “Jesus who is called Justus.” Jesus was called “Jesus of Nazareth” to distinguish him from other Jewish men named Jesus. In some parts of the world today, especially in Hispanic culture, boys are still named “Jesus.” Unlike some of the names that God gives for himself in the Old Testament, like “Yahweh” or “I AM,” “Jesus is a very earthy, human name. We celebrate this because it was necessary for our Savior to be truly human so that he could represent us as the Second Adam and die for our sins.
Third, the name “Jesus” reminds us of his authority and the urgency of owning him as our King. Philippians 2:9–11 says that because Jesus humbled himself unto death on a cross for our salvation, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” There’s only two options: Bow now to King Jesus and be saved, or bow at his coming and perish forever. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12). By God’s grace, I choose to bow now to King Jesus.
Finally, the name “Jesus” reminds us of our authority and power as the Church. We have no power or authority of our own, but through the name of Jesus Christ—when we preach Jesus and prayer according to his will and character—we can do all things (Php. 4:13). It was “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” that Peter commanded the lame man to “rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6). When Peter and John stood before the council, they asked them, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” and the apostle Peter answered, “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). And when the council “charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18), the apostles chose to obey God rather than men. At the name of Jesus, demons tremble, strongholds fall, sinners are saved, and the gates of hell are shaken!
The name “Jesus” is so precious to the Church that some churches have a special service each year on January 1 to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name. Since January 1 is the eighth day of the Christmas season, white is used. The symbol “IHS” is sometimes highlighted (as in the header image of this article), since it is a Greek monogram for “Jesus Christ” that was used by the early Christians. In the Revised Common Lectionary, the following Scriptures are read, which can also be used in private prayer or family worship:
- Numbers 6:22–27
- Psalm 8
- Philippians 2:5–11 or Galatians 4:4-7
- Luke 2:15–21
In the Book of Common Prayer, the following Collect is used:
Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
You can also sing one or more of the following songs:
- “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
- “What a Beautiful Name”
- “There’s Just Something About That Name”
- “Jesus, Name Above All Names”
- Psalm 8 in Metrical Form
- Philippians 2:5–11 Scripture Song
Blessed be the name of Jesus!
