The Light of the World

Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this season. 

We celebrate Hanukkah because Jesus did, as recorded in John 10:22. In Jesus' day, Hanukkah was known as the Feast of Dedication. The word Hanukkah is Hebrew for "dedication". 

The Feast of Dedication is a time to re-dedicate ourselves to God. It is also a time to celebrate God's miracles, and we celebrate the miracle of Jesus Christ - the light of the world (John 8:12). We also remember the miracle that followed a group of Jews who stood up for their beliefs so long ago. The Feast of Dedication celebrates the purification and re-dedication of the Temple after it's desecration in 165 B.C. In the New Testament, we are told that each one of us is the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in each of us (1 Cor. 3:16). 

During the Feast of Dedication, 

we purify our Temples and re-dedicate ourselves to 

Jesus 

You won't find the historical account of Hanukkah in the Bible, but you can find some of it in the apocryphal books of I and II Maccabees. The story takes place in 165 B.C., under the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes, a hellenized Syrian ruler, bent on reforming Jewish religion to suit his Greek tastes. The Jewish people were forced to curtail their ways of worshipping God. Reading God's Word, worshipping God, and praying to God were all outlawed. The Scriptures were destroyed. Jewish people were slaughtered for being observant Jews. Antiochus ordered Jerusalem to be destroyed: houses were burned, city walls broken down, the Temple on Mount Zion was looted of its treasures and desecrated. A pig, which the Bible says is unclean, was slaughtered on the Temple's alter. The Temple was converted to a shrine for Zeus - the Greeks erected a statue of Zeus and sprinkled it with the slaughtered pig's blood. The lamp inside the temple was destroyed. Scripture had commanded Jewish people to burn the lamp continuously inside the Temple as a symbol of God's presence. The lamp, or seven-branched menorah, was lit by olive oil and was the only light in the Temple. 

During this time, a small group of warriors called the Maccabees took a stand. They would not compromise their beliefs. This small group defeated the armies of Antiochus, and their battle victories were clearly miracles from Heaven. In battle after battle, this small group of warriors overpowered massive armies because they were willing to stand up for their beliefs and not compromise them. God gave this group of warriors victory and they were able to reclaim Judea and the Temple. They cleansed and restored the Temple, and rebuilt the alter. In order to rededicate the Temple, the Jews needed sanctified oil for the Temple lamp, however the Greeks had destroyed all of the oil except for 1 bottle - enough to burn the lamp only one day. Miraculously, God made that 1 bottle of oil burn for eight days - the time if took to purify more oil for Temple use. Israel decreed the re-dedication of the Temple should be observed with joy and gladness at the same time each year for eight days: the Feast of Dedication. 

The same powers promoted by Antiochus so long ago are present in the world today. Worldwide immortality and idolatry are the norm. As Christians, we must stand up for our beliefs. The story of Hanukkah teaches us not to compromise God's Word. It teaches us not to be overcome by evil. It reminds us that we are able to overcome evil because of Jesus: 

the light of the world! 

Today, Jews continue to celebrate the light and the miracle of Hanukkah and each night, for eight nights, Jewish families light a menorah to remember the miracle of lights. 

In our home, we celebrate the Feast of Dedication by lighting a lamp filled with olive oil for eight nights. In doing so, we remember that Jesus is the "light of the world" (John 8:12). He came to bring light to all men, Jews and gentiles alike: "I will make you a light for the nations, that my salvation my reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). 

We celebrate and praise God for the miracle of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:11-12). We also use this time to remember that we are God's Temple (1 Cor. 3:16 and 1 Cor. 6:19), we cleanse our hearts (Psalm 51:10), we repent from our sins (Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19), and we forgive those who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:14-15). We partake in Communion (Luke 22:19-20), and re-dedicate ourselves to Jesus, so that the Holy Spirit can kindle us and we can be a pure light for God. 

I hope to be like the Maccabees so long ago - fully trusting in God's provision for the next day and the next. The Feast of Dedication is a celebration of God's miracles and His provisions, especially Jesus. 

May the true "Light of the World" shine brightly upon you and your family this holiday season.