“On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.” Luke 2.21
According to sources, on the eighth day of a Jewish boy’s life, the tradition is Brit Milah, a ceremony that includes circumcision and the giving of a Hebrew name. This ceremony marks the boy’s formal entry into the Jewish covenant with God. As stated in Leviticus 12:3, “And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”
The reasons for the Jewish custom of performing the circumcision on the eighth day are not fully explained, but many possible explanations are provided for further reading and interest (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/527084/jewish/Why-Wait-Eight-Days-for-the-Circumcision.htm#footnote1a527084). We do know that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, in keeping with Jewish custom and God’s law. In the Leviticus verse mentioned above, God gives the command without specifying a reason.
I compare infant baptism for Christians to the practice of ritual circumcision for Jewish boys. Some argue against infant baptism, but it signifies faith in God before the child is aware and reflects God’s activity of grace in the child’s life before knowledge or conscious thought. It suggests that God is working in one’s life even before awareness, and responding to God through rituals like circumcision for Jews or infant baptism for Christians is significant.
Jesus was Jewish and thus was circumcised on the eighth day in the Temple. He was initiated into God’s family and welcomed into the Jewish faith. The idea of not circumcising Jesus was unthinkable; it was a custom, tradition, and command that any faithful Jew at the time would follow for their infant son.
Jesus later said he came not to abolish the laws of God but to fulfill them. Much of what God commanded His people to do through the Mosaic Law remains relevant and applicable today, though not necessary for salvation. Our salvation is secure when we believe in the name of Jesus, who is the fulfillment of God’s loving laws in our lives.
After his circumcision, he was named Jesus, as the angel foretold, because he would save the people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). One source suggests that its original Hebrew form, “Yeshua,” means “God saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” Jesus was given this name, and his work in the world reflected this purpose.
The eighth day was significant for Jesus, as it is for those who believe in him. He, who was God in the flesh, came to give us life, to guide people to God, and to redeem humanity through his death on the cross and resurrection. If we trust in Christ, we are trusting in the God who saves, who loves us, and who has a plan for our lives.
Will you turn and put your faith in Jesus today?
“O Lord God, you are good. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for allowing us to walk in newness of life and to find faith in your name. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill us with your power. Help us know that you are near and that you hear us. I love you, Lord, and praise your name. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen