010106 New Year

New Year’s Day: The Circumcision of Our Lord, January 1, 2006

Circumcision and the Seed of David

Text: Romans 1:1–7

Other Lessons: Psalm 8; Numbers 6:22–27; Luke 2:21

Theme: Jesus, the Seed of David, was circumcised that we might be called his heirs.

Goal: That the hearer believe he or she is an heir of eternal life through Jesus, the promised Seed of David.

Introduction: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” These words from the Gospel of John might not mean much more than a baby boy being born on Christmas day for many people. But, the person who has had the fullness of these words revealed to him or her, is comforted by them.

They know that the “Word” spoken of in this verse is none other than the almighty God himself.

They know that this “Word,” this second person of the Holy Trinity, became one like us, by taking to himself our full humanity.

They know that He did that to save us. And that is comforting for sinners condemned under God’s Law.

That Law required every male child of Israel to undergo circumcision on the eighth day after his birth. Fulfilling the Law of God fully and completely for all humanity is what the “Word,” made flesh came to do. Here is what I mean.

Jesus, the Seed of David, Was Circumcised That We Might Be Called His Heirs.

  I.     Paul informs us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God—true God, and the Son of Man—true man. Old Testament prophecy identifies the Messiah, the Savior, as the Seed of David according to the flesh.

          The Savior of mankind would be fully human and be a descendent of David. St. Paul identifies this promised Seed of David as none other than Jesus (vv 1–3). Why is the human lineage of Jesus so important? It is because through that human lineage alone, is the promise of God fulfilled. Listen to God’s promise to David:

          "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring (Seed) after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”" (2 Samuel 7:12-16, ESV)

          Now, if Jesus was the illegitimate son of a Roman soldier, as some today maintain, then He cannot be the promised Messiah. And if he is not the promised Messiah, all of the preaching about Jesus being he, is false. That would make our faith in him false. And that would mean no salvation. All who trusted in him would still be lost in sin.

II.     But, Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises of the Seed of David, and this is where the connection with circumcision is made (v 3).

          From the Psalms we hear this: "I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you." (Psalm 2:7, ESV) And from the prophet Isaiah we hear:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:6-7, ESV)

Jeremiah also declares:

"In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel," (Jeremiah 33:15-17, ESV)

The witness of the Apostle Matthew identifies Jesus as the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the Son of Adam. He also goes on to say:

"But as he (Joseph) considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)." (Matthew 1:20-23, ESV)

Being the promised “Seed” of Eve and of Abraham and of David, means that salvation is from the Jews. It can’t be any other. And that’s where circumcision connects. Circumcision was a painful reminder that something had to be cut off to be included as an heir. In the New Testament, what needs to be cut off is not skin, but the fruit of the sinful human nature, like "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” Paul leaves no room for doubt about the devastating effects such things have on our lives, and the reason it needs to be cut off. “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21, ESV)

          God commanded circumcision as the sign of the covenant relationship between himself and His people. It meant sin was not to reign among His people. It had to be cut off. But it was also a sign pointing to the promised Seed, the descendant and heir of Abraham and David. But only one was foretold. Many claimed and still claim to be the Messiah, but it cannot be.

          It was no coincidence that the prophecies speak of “seed,” not “seeds.” The point is made clear by Paul in (Gal 3:16-18).

"Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, (after the promise was given to Abraham) does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise."

The prophecies all looked to the one Seed, the promised heir, the Bethlehem baby—Jesus Christ. There is no other.

III.    As that promised Seed, Jesus was sent to shed his own blood. As circumcision was the sign of the covenant, so also, Christ bearing the sin of the world is “cut off” on the cross. In this way, He marks all mankind as His children and heirs. He has excluded none. But a seed does not give life or grow unless it is buried, planted, in the ground. Jesus refers to himself as being like a common seed. He was buried as a seed in death. But, He arose, never to die again. Like a plant growing from one seed, many will share in His death and life. Jesus’ resurrection makes it possible for us to share in that death and new life (v 4). And that life means the old has been “cut off.”

          No wonder Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit says:

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." (Colossians 2:9-15, ESV)

That is such good news. How could anyone not want that applied to him or her self? But how does one get personally connected to it.

IV.    The apostolic word now calls us through the preaching of this Gospel to be connected to Jesus as his own, heirs of the promises of God (vv 5–7).

          Baptism has set God’s mark and seal of kinship on us. In Baptism, we are clothed with Christ. In Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit who connects us to Christ and keeps us connected. In Christ, all the promises of God are yes and amen to all! The assurance comes in the word of God that says: "if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:29, ESV) The only thing that will prevent anyone from being connected is crass unbelief in who Jesus is.

          So, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us is something well worth understanding. Practically speaking, it applies to our lives today in this way: when we find ourselves in temptation and sin, we have a way out. We are not bound as a slave to sin and death. As an heir of Jesus Christ, we possess everything that His life, death, and resurrection promises—death to sin, and life in Christ.

Conclusion: Through our Baptism into Christ, the Seed, who first shed his blood for us in his circumcision, we become his heirs. That is to say, the pain of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling with us means we, in our flesh, will dwell with him forever. Amen.