On the eighth day of his life, the boy child of Mary and Joseph was circumcised and given the name Jesus.
His circumcision was something he shared with all other Jewish males and his name (Hebrew “Joshua”) was one he shared with many other Jewish males; both his circumcision and his name, therefore, underscored his commonality with other people.
They also underscored his uniqueness among people, though. He was not only one of the children of God; he was the unique Son of God. He was not only a member of the people of God; he was the Suffering Servant who perfectly embodied the kind of life to which the people of God are called. He was not only a person whose name meant “Savior”; he was the person who actually was the Savior.
On this Eighth Day of Christmas, may God help us to learn better of the meaning of Jesus’ common identity with humanity and of his unique role within humanity.
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