Luke 2:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“After eight days, when it was time for the circumcision,” because the law prescribes this on the eighth day, the physician would act, taking his tools, practicing his craft, and for the purpose of circumcision, would set aside the Sabbath. Let us question the Jews: the Sabbath signifies rest; this is a day of perfect peace; why is the eighth day prioritized over the seventh? Why is the eighth day deemed greater than the seventh? The Jews, in their ignorance, overlook these matters, while the Church of Christ understands both Him and the teachings of Judaism. The child is circumcised on the eighth day, symbolizing the resurrection, that is, the Lord’s circumcision of the entire world. Why did Moses not command circumcision on the sixth day? Why not on the ninth or tenth? Clearly, the eighth day is significant as the day of the Lord’s resurrection. Thus, anyone who does not believe in the resurrection is not spiritually circumcised, but is alienated from God due to unbelief. True circumcision represents the genuine understanding and acknowledgment of faith. Therefore, dear ones, circumcision is imparted to believers through holy baptism, which mirrors Christ's resurrection. Thus, transition from the physical to the spiritual realm, moving from carnal to spiritual, and there you will discover both bodily circumcision and the spiritual cleansing of sins. The eighth day signifies circumcision; the eighth day also represents resurrection; baptism is an emblem of the resurrection; and the journey is from lesser to greater realities, from physical to more profound spiritual matters. Therefore, let the Jews be welcomed into prosperity, as it is vital to progress beyond the physical and not remain stagnant. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came “not to abolish... the law, but to fulfill it” (Matt. 5:17), was indeed circumcised with the Jews. Hence, the evangelist notes that “after eight days, when the child was to be circumcised, they gave Him the name Jesus, which the angel had named Him before His conception in the womb.” While we receive our names after birth, Jesus was named prior to His birth because He existed before conception. He was called Jesus due to His salvific role.

Yet, by a means known only to Him, He preserved that fragment intact, retrieving it after the Resurrection, thereby ensuring He lacked nothing in any respect, similar to how we too will receive our bodies whole at the Resurrection. It is important to note that the Lord was not conceived immediately; as the angel announced, “and behold thou shalt conceive” (Luke 1:31), it happened thereafter, according to His will. Observe that it states, “called by the angel before His conception in the womb.” This is made clear also by the phrasing, for it is written “conceive,” not “conceived.” Thus, we can infer that the Lord was conceived at that time but not at the precise moment the angel delivered his message, or possibly not until he had completed his words. However, we do not assert this as a definitive statement.

The Jewish rite of circumcision served as a precursor and foreshadowing of Christian baptism. Just as circumcision designated Abraham’s descendants and set them apart, baptism signifies the sealing of Christians. While circumcision involved the removal of a physical part from the body, baptism signifies the removal of sin, which is extraneous. The original sign was destined to cease with the coming of the First Image, and the announcements were to fade away when He, the subject of those proclamations, arrived. He accomplished all that pertained to Himself, rendering the former practices unnecessary.

But we confess that it is God Himself who has descended from heaven, and that inclosed in a virgin’s womb, He abode there the whole time necessary for her delivery, until He should perfectly form to Himself of the virgin’s womb a human body; and that in this body He was not in appearance but truly circumcised on the eighth day, in order that the figures having come to this spiritual fulfilment, both by Himself and His disciples, might now be spread abroad no longer the figures but the reality.

On the eighth day, the Lord also rose from the dead, which assures us of a perpetual life that will never end, as taught in our faith.

During this eighth day, the Jews circumcised only males, a ritual that served as a foreshadowing of the resurrection at the week's conclusion, signifying that the desires of the flesh would one day fade, making way for the eternal, unaffected by earthly cravings. While the Jews may not have fully comprehended the essence of true circumcision—turning away from sin—this understanding is realized in holy baptism, instilling in us the hope of being incorruptible and unharmed. Although the act of circumcision alters the physical body, it does not eliminate our inherent human desires. Through baptism, however, we experience a new birth, not born of fleshly lusts but from God, granting us a rebirth through the cleansing waters of baptism. Thus, just as the Savior was named Jesus on the eighth day, so too does the child receive a name at baptism.

Following baptism, the child is sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the sign of the cross on the forehead, mouth, and heart, symbolizing the powers of reason, speech, and life, inscribing their name in the Book of Eternity. Afterward, the child returns to their mother. On the fortieth day, she brings her child back to the temple as an offering to God. The priest stands at the temple doors, for entry requires prayer; he seals and blesses both the mother and child with prayer. The priest instructs the mother on purification from the birth, having already passed forty days during which the child awakens to awareness and begins to play.

Once the priest grants her permission to enter the church—previously barred from approaching due to her unworthiness of the Holy Communion—he takes the child in his arms, akin to Simeon, who embraced the Lord’s Child. The priest proclaims freedom for the child from sin and the opportunity to behold the light of Christ, the revelation for the nations, and the glory of Israel. If the child has been baptized, the priest takes them to the altar, circling it in an act of reverence, portraying the child as an offering to God. If baptism has not yet occurred, the priest returns the child to the mother, bowing towards the altar while carrying the child, each moment marking the child’s status as if already baptized. Consequently, the mother, now purified, gains access to the temple and the possibility of receiving Holy Communion whenever she feels prepared. This is the process that occurs.

Yet, over time, the cave in Bethlehem became a site of deep reverence among Christians. Even in Origen’s time, it was noted by Gentiles: ‘Here is the cave where Jesus was born, whom Christians honour and adore.’ By the era of Constantine the Great, a church had already been established there. Jerome withdrew to this sacred site for his scholarly pursuits and spiritual exercises. He expressed to a friend in Rome, ‘Where shall I find the words or eloquence to describe the cave of the Saviour and the manger where He, the infant, cried? No! I would prefer to honour this place in silence rather than with feeble words. There are no grand porticoes or gilded ceilings. Here, in this hollow of the earth, the Creator of heaven was born. Here He was wrapped in swaddling clothes; here the shepherds beheld Him; here He was revealed by a star; here the wise men came to pay their homage. I believe this place holds more holiness than the rock of Tarpeia, which was often struck by lightning—an indication that it did not capture God’s favour. I acknowledge there is a holy church there and many relics of the apostles and martyrs; indeed, the name of Christ is rightly professed, the faith proclaimed by the apostles, paganism dispelled, and the name of Christianity is continually uplifted. However, ambition, power, and the splendor of the city—looking for constant visibility, receiving and giving visits, engaging in praise and criticism, whether listening or speaking, and being surrounded by a throng of people—these pursuits are entirely foreign to the solemnity and peace of monastic life. In the village of Christ, all is conducted simply. Aside from the singing of psalms, silence reigns supreme. Yet, wherever you look, you can hear the voices of laborers; there’s a farmer at his plough singing Hallelujah; over here a weary reaper reciting psalms for encouragement; and a vinedresser, trimming grapevines with his crooked knife, sings verses from David. What beautiful songs resound in our region!

On the fortieth day after His birth, His parents complied with two important laws: first, the purification ritual for a mother who had given birth to a male child, which involved offering a burnt offering and a sin offering (Leviticus 12:2, etc.); and second, the law regarding the dedication or redemption of the firstborn, which required the offering of five shekels of silver to God (Exodus 13:2, 13; Numbers 8:16-17; Numbers 18:16).

It is likely that John the Baptist was the first to refer to Jesus in this way, for one of His earliest disciples, Andrew, who had been a follower of John, proclaimed to his brother Simon (Peter), "We have found the Messiah, which is called Christ" (John 1:41).

The seriousness with which the Jewish community regarded this duty can be seen in the Book of Jubilees, which emphatically mandates the performance of this rite, stating: “On the eighth day, circumcise your male child, for on that day Abraham and all his household were circumcised. And let no man dare to change this day or postpone circumcision beyond eight days, for it is an eternal law, established and inscribed on the tables of heaven. He who does not fulfill these things is not one of the sons of promise, but of the sons of perdition. The sons of Belial are those who do not fulfill these things.” Typically, the father held the right to perform the circumcision, following in the footsteps of the great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; although, in rare cases, mothers fulfilled this role. The ceremony was usually conducted within a close-knit family circle, surrounded by relatives and friends invited to partake in this familial celebration, much like how family members are invited for baptisms today. Given that the Holy Family was away from their home, it is likely that this rite was carried out without the customary festive environment, possibly taking place in a quiet family setting, perhaps attended only by the revered Zacharias and Elisabeth, who surely felt the desire to partake in the profound joy of their cherished relative.

The actual circumcision rite was straightforward. During the ceremony, the father would recite the prayer: “Blessed be Jehovah, the Lord! He sanctified His beloved from His mother’s womb and wrote His law on our flesh. He marks His sons with the sign of the covenant, that He may confer upon them the blessings of Abraham our father.” Those present would respond with “Amen,” after which selected psalms were sung. At the time of circumcision, the child was given a name, and the Holy Child was designated as Jesus. The right to select the name typically resided with the father, though it was common for the family and relatives to reach a consensus after discussion. Joseph’s choice of the particular name indicated his deep understanding of the revelations and circumstances surrounding the child’s birth, as well as his belief in the remarkable destiny awaiting his son. The name “Jesus,” which translates from Hebrew as Jehoshua or Yeshua, meaning “Jehovah is my salvation” or “Savior,” was already cherished among the Jewish people. It had been bestowed by Moses upon the son of Nun as a sign that he would rescue his people from the struggles faced during their wilderness journey and guide them into the Promised Land. From then on, this name became widely favored among the populace, and it was held by the high priest who led the exiled people returning from Babylon, further adding a layer of significance. To bestow such a distinguished name upon an infant born in humble conditions foreshadowed his future role in leading not merely one nation but all of humanity from the heavy chains of sin and death into the new Promised Land of eternal life. The name Jesus served as the personal name of the Son of God during His time on earth; alongside it, from the very outset, He was also referred to as Christ, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term Messiah, meaning the anointed one. While the Old Testament occasionally applies this title to kings, priests, and prophets as anointed mediators between God and humankind, in the case of Jesus, it was assigned with a unique and elevated significance. He embodied the complete mediatorial role, a function that was partially fulfilled by the three highest offices on earth, while uniting both divinity and humanity within Himself, bridging the former separation between heaven and earth. Since that time, the combined name of the Savior—Jesus Christ—has become the triumphant emblem under which all those who toil, the humble in spirit, and the meek-hearted triumph over the earth and inherit the kingdom of heaven.