Did you know that Jesus — Who is the Word, the One who was/is Life and the Light of Men — celebrated Hanukkah, also called, The Feast of Dedication? This shouldn’t be surprising because he was/is Jewish.
“After this the Feast of Dedication [of the reconsecration of the temple] was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter, And Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Porch in the temple area.”
John 10:22-23 AMPC
I enjoyed reading and learning from this very insightful article about The Feast of Dedication at this link: How Jesus fulfills the Hopes of Hanukkah by Thomas Boehm.
Here are a couple of excerpts from it:
“Although Hanukkah has no direct Torah command, its origins are rooted in the lived experience of the Jewish people as they struggled to survive culturally, spiritually, and physically under the pressures of foreign empires.”
Nearly two centuries later the empire threatening the Jews had changed, but their struggle was the same, and…
“Into this world stepped the Light of the World, who celebrated the Feast of Dedication not merely as a historical memory, but as one who fulfills its deepest meaning. Hanukkah becomes a window into the heart of Jesus’s mission: to cleanse, to restore, to rededicate, and to reveal God’s kingdom in the midst of darkness, on earth as it already is in his presence.”
As we approach the celebration of his birth, I have been meditating on Jesus, how He was Light and Life from the beginning. The star that led the wisemen to him and the bright glory of the angel’s message to the shepherds could not help but reflect that.
I want to share these scriptures to encourage you:
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”
John 1:1, 3-4 NLT
“In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].”
John 1:4-5 AMPC
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””
John 8:12 NLT
“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world so that all who trust in me will no longer wander in darkness.”
John 12:46 TPT
Dear one, Jesus gave his life for you. He wants you to receive his life, his salvation, and his light that leads to life. Will you open your heart and ask him to be your Lord today?
"Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc."
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org.
Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.
A Grateful Grace-full Life 