21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
If there is any doubt about Jesus being Jewish, this verse should end any debate. He was circumcised according to Jewish custom by his Jewish parents. He is from the line of King David on both sides of his family. You can’t get much more Jewish than that! Circumcision is the outward sign of Judaism. It was started as a way to differentiate between Jews and non-Jews. It was a sign of God’s promise to His people. Every male was circumcised on the eight day. There was no female circumcision. Circumcision was a way to show that you were on the “in” crowd. It was the initiation ceremony for the covenant community of the Lord. God set up the community and circumcision was the first act of that community. Today, there is no outward sign necessary for entrance into the faith community. Notice I said “necessary” for entrance. Baptism often serves as a way for individuals to say, “I am now a Christian,” but it is not necessary for salvation. Circumcision was the mark that showed you were part of the community. Circumcision was necessary. Baptism is not. I know there are those who feel baptism is necessary. I think it is often necessary for the individual as a way to mark a clear break with their past life. I was baptized twice, once when I was an infant, and once in a bathtub as an adult. The first one had no effect on my salvation. I came to a commitment to Jesus, and chose to identify myself with Him. That was the second one, the one in the bathtub. (There were no baptismal pools where we lived. Not even a pond we could go to. The bathtub worked!) Baptism sealed something in my heart that God had already sealed in heaven. I had begun my walk of faith several months prior to that point. My heart had already been changed. I wanted to draw a line in the sand and say to myself and others, “I am not going back.” And almost 30 years later, I am still not going back.
The Arnold Journey 