The Light of the World

• And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch (John 10: 22-23)

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication.

Almost two hundred years before the time of Christ, Israel was in crisis. The once united kingdom of Alexander the Great had fallen into the hands of four successors, and Judea was caught in a power-play tug-of-war between two rival factions for quite some time. Under the rule finally of the Seluceans/Syrians, Israel was forced into assimilation into the dominate Greek culture. The temple was desecrated, and it was forbidden to teach their children the basics of their religion and culture.

A small town priest name Matthias, and his sons, the most famous of which is Judah, the Maccabee (hammer), staged a rebellion that sparked an overthrow; and freedom, for a time at least, to practice their religion and exercise their faith.

When the time came to cleanse the temple and restore the worship rituals ordained by God, they were unable to find enough of the special, pure oil used to light the seven-branched lamp, or menorah, that illuminated the holy place. While they embarked on the eight-day process to make more of this special oil, they decided to go ahead and use the one-day supply of oil that they had, so the people could see that the temple was back in use. By a miracle of God, the oil lasted for the complete eight days, and the rededication of the temple was completed

A special nine-branched menorah is used during Hanukkah, to commemorate the miracle that took place when the Temple was rededicated and restored to proper use. Each night the middle candle, the shamus, or servant candle, is used to light the other candles-one candle on the first night, two on the second, and on through the eight candles that are lit on the last night.

"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch" (John 10: 22-23)
The "feast of the dedication" referred to here is Hanukkah; and Solomon's porch was the colonnade that lit up during the feast with a number of special, oversized menorahs. It was during this time that Jesus openly acknowledged that He was, indeed, the Christ.

Hanukkah means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it's a cultural holiday, for some, a religious one. As a believer in Yeshua Ha'mashiech, Jesus the Messiah, Hanukkah speaks to me on several different levels. First as a commemoration of the miracle that took place, and also to acknowledge that miracles do happen, but they happen in God's timing and at His discretion, not ours. Secondly, as a time for personal reflection and dedication. And lastly, to commemorate the coming of the Light of the World.

This season as you celebrate Hanukkah, for whatever reason; may the peace of God shine round about you and yours.

Until next time...