In the Dutch Reformed tradition, New Year's Day was celebrated as the Day of the Circumcision. This day would have been the 8th day after Christ's birth and would have marked the beginning of Christ's sufferings and humiliation. According to the Law of Moses, new born boys were to be circumcised on the 8th day after their birth.
The circumcision of Christ is important to believers for this very reason- that cut would have been the first blood shed from our Savior. The first blood to flow towards the complete salvation of sinners.
We do not often think of Christ's circumcision, but it is a very important part of our redemption's accomplishment. Today Dutch Reformed Churches celebrate the New Year with a worship service- which is fine. But the redemptive nature of why they gathered on this day is lost in our current customs. On this New Year's Day, think of what Christ has done for you, if you are his. Think of blood lost.
Christ was circumcised for you. Even as an eight day old infant, Christ was actively working for the salvation of the elect.
Colossians 2:11 And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ...
5 comments:
you celebrate his baptism too? :)
In hebrew, moledet (birth) and mul (to circumcise) are related. Also related to the word milah (word, or circumcision).
However, the "Christian" calendar is a perversion of the jewish one - using it is part of the arrogance Paul warns you about.
You would do well to study the midrashim (Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The Midrash Says, 5 volumes) before you embark on your RPCNA ministry.
When you do jews first then gentiles you'll make romans 9 thru 11 come true, and the church will no longer be dead but alive.
Once you understand the background material to the Bible and the contexts, and you've cast away your arrogance thinking you can solve the puzzles by yourself without the help of 3000 years of Jewish experience, then you'll be really understanding the Bible, and not repeating the boooooooooooring cliches based on half-truths and ignorance taught at seminaries everywhere.
If however, you continue business as usual, reformed and presbyterian will continue to be a small ineffective failure group.
Dewalt:
I do not celebrate the birth or the circumcision.... or the baptism for that matter. I was only commenting on the circumcision of Christ and its implications for us.
HH: What on earth are you talking about?
He wants us to first read some Rabbi's work so that we are better Christians...
Hmmm...I think Galatians is still part of the canon, but I don't remember The Midrash in the NT canon...didn't Paul warn us against Jewish traditions under the New Covenant...?
How about reach all with the Gospel, that way you get both Jew and Gentile at the same time. Scripture does not teach that we are to just focus on the Jews. Both go hand in hand.
3,000 +/- yrs of Jewish experience did not help the Pharisees recognize the Messiah, now did it??
We Christians understand very well the Bible without Rabbi M.W.'s help; though I am sure he could be helpful in understanding Jewish thought and how to reach them for Christ. That is different and more productive than the way you phrased it H H...
Did not Christs humiliation and suffering begin 9 months prior to his circumcision?
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