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Why Should Christians remember Hanukkah as we celebrate Christmas? |
2007-12-03 |
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The first night of the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins at sundown on Tuesday, December eighth.. Hanukkah has been celebrated for thousands of years by the Jewish people as they remembered the miracles God performed through Judah Maccabee. Judah Maccabee and his historic band of freedom fighters defeated the Seleucid army after their evil King forbade Jews from practicing their faith and defiled the Temple and God’s altar. King Antiochus ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods and defiled the altar by sacrificing pigs to a statue of Zeus in the temple. Many Jews were tortured and murdered for their obedient and faithful worship to the God of Israel. Their persecution was the first outright persecution of the Jews.
After recapturing Jerusalem, Judah Maccabee and his followers set out to purify and rededicate the Temple and the altar. They went into the holy Temple and were saddened by the many things that were missing and broken, including the golden menorah ( “Menorah” means lamp stand in Hebrew). They cleaned and repaired the Temple and had a celebration when they finished. They wanted to light the menorah, but after looking everywhere, could only find enough sanctified or holy oil for one day. Later tradition holds that miraculously, the oil lasted eight days, which gave them enough time to keep the menorah lit while more holy oil could be prepared. Today, Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, commemorating the eight-day miracle.
Jesus celebrated the Jewish holidays as a faithful Jew. In the Gospel of John 10:22-42, Jesus was present at the Temple in Jerusalem for Hanukkah or The festival of Dedication. “Hanukkah” means “dedication" in Hebrew---because of the dedication of the altar and the Temple. It is also known as the Festival of light, as candles are lit each night on the menorah. With a new candle each day, the light grows and shines in the darkness.
Jesus told his disciples, “I am the Light of the world", and later instructed them and us, “You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5 :16)
It is the Advent season. We are preparing our hearts for the coming of our infant King, Jesus. “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. What has come into being in him was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father’s only Son full of grace and truth” (John 1: 3,14). Advent is about expressing our ‘Dedication’ to the God of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We prepare for our Master’s birth. Through the Hanukkah revolution God preserved the culture into which his precious Son was to be born. As the Maccabees of old fought to salvage their Jewish faith and identity, so too do Christian believers now struggle against those forces in our culture that threaten to take away our faith and identity in Jesus Christ. Hanukkah is a wonderful time to rededicate ourselves to the daily struggle of living holy lives. What a perfect time to light candles for the coming Messiah, the Light of the world.
The celebration of Hanukkah is relevant and important for all believers. It is the story of tenacious zeal for a devotion to God's commandments, and the will to stand up for what is right and holy. It is the story of the rededication of God's Temple and His people. As such, it is an important part of the history of who we are.
Therefore, we pray that this Hanukkah season will find the light of the Gospel burning ever brighter within you. May the light of Jesus or in Hebrew, “YESHUA” (which means salvation) pour forth from within each one of us as we set about to illuminate the darkness.
Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!
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