It occasionally bugs people that the Lutheran Church observes January 1 as the Festival of the Name of Jesus rather than New Years Day. It’s the way this kind of thing works. The church largely ignores the civil calendar and follows its own calendar.

I suspect the church decided to have a festival on January 1 to make sure people were in church and not out celebrating at a wild party. What January 1 was in the Christian calendar varies, Sometime it was the octave (eighth day) of Christmas. Sometimes the solemnity of Mary. Sometimes the circumcision of Jesus. Lutherans tended to follow medieval practice and call January the Circumcision and the Name of Jesus. Today it is just the Name of Jesus.

There are several texts that explain the angelic origins of the name Jesus. The angel Gabriel says to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31).

Iesus, as it appears in Greek, is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Yeshua which we usually express in English as Joshua. It’s a common name meaning savior. 

You might want to take some time today between the parades and football games to reflect on Caroline Noel’s hymn:

At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess him king of glory now.
It is God’s good pleasure we should call him Lord.
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

Read Philipians 2:9-11 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne