January 2025

Here we are in January. The month begins with blood, as on the 8th day of His life, January 1, Jesus is circumcised. Happy New Year! Yes, for us who believe in Him it is a happy new year because of that act. Luke reports it so simply: “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) And it is Matthew who tells us why the angel gave him that name. The angel told Joseph in a dream to take the pregnant Mary – not pregnant by him! – as his wife, for her child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21) In His circumcision Jesus was put under the Law for us to save us, who because of our sinful natures are unable to fully and rightly keep God’s holy Law, from its condemnation. The apostle Paul says in Gal. 4: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” By His blood Jesus redeemed us, purchased us for God! God now receives us as His children!! “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal. 4:6-7) What a way to begin the New Year!

And that’s not all. January brings us Epiphany: the remembrance of the visit of the Magi, those Gentile strangers from afar. They find Him by first following God’s sign – a star – to Jerusalem, and then by listening to and following God’s Word, which said that He would be born in Bethlehem. God’s Word and His sign led them to the Savior… as they lead us to the Savior. He is a Savior who comes in lowliness and through the lowly (poor Mary and Joseph, and in little Bethlehem), and not in the wealth and power of the mighty (King Herod, who lived in Jerusalem, the king’s city). A Savior from and for the lowly, and especially lowly sinners: that’s Jesus!

Toward the end of this month I will have the honor and privilege of joining Synod Pres. Harrison and the Presidents of our other districts in Washington, D.C., to begin the National March for Life with prayer and song. We have been invited by the National Right to Life committee, which plans this annual march, to be on their stage on the National Mall and at noon lead everyone in prayer and in the singing of the doxology. By becoming one with us as a newly conceived and growing child in the womb of Mary the eternal Son of God declared every child in the womb precious to God, and by His death on the cross for us all He purchased for God every single human being. I will therefore march with the leaders of our Synod, and also many other members of our Synod and 1,000’s of other Christians and concerned citizens, to declare the value of every human life to our nation’s leaders and call our nation to support and defend them. I invite you to join us, and also invite our District congregations celebrate Life Sunday on January 26.

So: in January, although a cold month, God declares the warmth of His love for us in His eternal Son, given for us! I invite you to hear of and receive His love in Christ in one of the New England congregations of our Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod!!

In Christ Jesus, our Lord,

Pres. Beinke