And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
Joshua 5:8

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READ: Joshua 5:1–9

Marks on our bodies can tell a lot about who we are and where we’ve been. Stretch marks on mothers show the toll pregnancy takes on a woman and the strength and endurance she showed in carrying a child. Scars from skinned knees and stitched-up cuts reflect the accidents we’ve experienced. Pierced ears might be a young daughter’s rite of passage into womanhood. Matching tattoos among siblings symbolize their identity as part of their family of origin. And a newborn boy’s circumcision might reflect his identity as a Jewish son.

But in Joshua 5, the eye-popping story of 600,000+ grown men (plus all their infant, child, and teen sons) undergoing the knife—made of flint, not steel—to be circumcised takes the concept of physical marks of identity to a whole new level. Youch!

Why was circumcision so important to God? It identified those in a covenant relationship with God through Abraham. God told Abraham, “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:10–11). But during 40 years of wandering in the desert, circumcision had fallen by the wayside. To re-establish that covenant relationship with God, every male had to be circumcised.

Does circumcision matter for Christians today? In a letter to Roman Christians, the apostle Paul wrote: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Romans 2:28–29a). As followers of Jesus, we identify with a New Covenant—a covenant of the Spirit, in which our standing with God isn’t based on circumcision or obedience to Old Testament laws, but on our acceptance of Christ as the Forgiver of our wrongdoings and the leader of our lives.

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

The Gift of Being Known | Jaison W. | Willow South Lake

I’ve never known life without God. Raised in a Christian home, church was simply part of our non-negotiable Sunday rhythm. I accepted Jesus as a child, but it wasn’t until my early 20s that I truly began to understand what it meant to follow Him personally—not just through my parents’ faith, but through my own walk.

That shift became real when our family moved to Illinois and started attending Willow. Unlike at our previous church, I struggled to find deep, relational connections. I felt like just another face in the crowd—until, with my wife’s encouragement, I joined a Rooted men’s group. There, I found other men who felt just like me: present in church, but missing authentic community. That group changed everything.

What started as a Bible study became a brotherhood. We pray together, serve together, share meals, celebrate, and grieve. We’ve created space for vulnerability, accountability, and real friendship. We make room for each other and show up. Our group has become a living picture of God’s design for community—people sharpening each other in Christ. God has deepened my identity in Him. My faith is no longer rooted in routine or obligation; it’s anchored in Christ and bolstered by the community God has built around me.

God sustains us through relationships—first with Him, then with others. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds me: it’s not about my plans, but God’s. Stepping out in faith has rooted me deeper in my identity as God’s son. And that identity sustains me daily.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both Jewish and Christian families celebrate rites of passage for their children. Many Jewish families circumcise their infant sons and hold a bris celebration that marks their entrance into the covenant of Abraham. Catholics and some Christian denominations hold infant Baptisms to symbolize a child’s entrance into Christianity. Other Christian churches—Willow Creek included—hold child-dedication ceremonies in which parents, family members, and their Christian community commit to standing with parents as they raise their child to someday claim their identity with Christ as their Forgiver and Leader.

A PRAYER

God, may I fully embrace my identity as a follower of Christ. Keep me mindful that in every role I play throughout the day, first and foremost, I’m a Christ follower. May my actions at home, work, church, and beyond honor You. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

Were you baptized as an infant? Have you been baptized as an adult? If not, what steps might you take to claim this rite of passage as part of your identity?

Have you ever attended a child-dedication ceremony? In what ways could you support a Christian parent in raising their child to know and follow Jesus?