New Year's Day

Luke 2:21 Today many mean to celebrate a happy New Year, but only deceive themselves. They mean to be happy, if they are in the possession of earthly goods, if they have paid off significant debts; others today beat out of mind sad thoughts today because of sin and believe that it was done with the help of new resolutions. Poor souls! Our festival Gospel points us to Whom, with Whom alone we can celebrate a happy New Year. That the beginning of the new year falls on the naming day of our Lord Jesus is extremely wonderful. The high significance of the name of Jesus: 1. we learn from this: a. His name is given to Him in His circumcision because He Himself, who was not subject to the law and was without sin, was under the Law and spilled the first little drop of blood and thus set forth a down payment for our salvation that He has accomplished by doing and suffering, b. He is designated by the Father from eternity and is revealed by the angel at God's command1; therefore no one can come to the Father and be saved without faith in this name; but in His name we can certainly be saved; the name of Jesus takes in all salvation, all bliss; the Lord does not take His name as people take theirs, which they in no way fulfill; 2. what arises out of this for our New Year's celebration: a. that we begin and live through the new year in the name of Jesus according to God's will, b. that we have this great blessing, because we stand in God's grace, in God's peace, in God's blessing, in God's consolation and properly prepared to die. G.

Acts 4:12.