December 31, 2025 – New Year’s Eve Text: Numbers 6:22-27
Dear Friends in Christ,
How important has the Lord’s name been throughout the centuries? In 1979, archaeologists were digging in some caves right outside the city walls of Jerusalem when they found two intriguing objects that were about the size and shape of cigarette filters. They were tiny silver sheets rolled up like scrolls, and they had been placed as precious objects next to their owners in their tombs. When the scrolls were carefully unrolled, Hebrew letters could be seen faintly scratched on the surfaces. These silver scrolls are one of the most significant discoveries ever made because they are “the earliest known artifacts from the ancient world that document passages from the Hebrew Bible.” What passages were scratched on the scrolls? The Aaronic blessing, our text for tonight from the Book of Numbers: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (v. 24-26)
We now know and we have hard evidence, that these words brought great comfort to God’s people living six centuries before Jesus was born. They accompanied the dearly departed in their graves. They are an early confession that the Lord is the one saving them from their sins. The Lord blesses. The Lord gives peace to troubled sinners. The archaeologists dug in the dirt, down to the bedrock, and there they found the name of God that was put upon his people through the Aaronic benediction. This New Year’s night . . .
“DIGGING IN DIRT”
Have you ever gone digging to find something about your ancestry? It probably didn’t happen in dirt, but maybe you went through some pictures or files left by a grandparent or parent. Some may have gone to a courthouse in the county a relative lived or called their church to find a baptism, confirmation, or funeral date. We have names that identify us, names that mean something to us, names that have a history.
But have we ever besmirched that name when digging in some dirty places we shouldn’t be? Trying to find some juicy info about a friend or neighbor? Ever go into someone’s room, not your own, and you snooped around? How about entering a business establishment where you feel uncomfortable the whole night? Oh our digging can take many forms and not all for the good.
Let’s dig back into this name Jesus. In our gospel for tonight it says, “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.” (Luke 2:21). We no longer practice circumcision as a churchly rite. It is an Old Testament worship law that did foreshadow Jesus and his work. Paul in our Epistle ties together circumcision with baptism and forgiveness.
The meaning of Jesus is that he saves his people from their sins. In our Baptism the water washed away our dirty deeds done dirt cheap. We also put on the name of Christ and became Christian.
This is our name. No matter if in this new year we change locations, get offered a new job, make resolutions to better ourselves, or have a child. Wherever we are, whatever we do for a living, we know that God is our Father, Jesus, by his life, death, and resurrection, has saved us. The Holy Spirit keep us in that faith. A faith that will not find us six feet under in the dirt, but spending an eternity with the Holy Trinity in heaven. A Blessed 2026!
Amen.