Hanukkah day 4: Lighting the menorah and blessingsTorah Portion: Numbers 7:30 - 7:41
Since I never thought much about Hanukkah (previous post), I never wondered if Jesus celebrated this festival. Come to find out, not only did He celebrate it, but He revealed Himself as Messiah during Hanukkah, which is referred to below as the Feast of Dedication.
John 10: 22-30 "Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
So Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah during the feast where He, as a Jew, is celebrating the re-dedication of the temple of God. And in this passage, Christ, speaking to Jews and, more than likely, some Gentiles, is the true Temple of God. Interesting to note: John 10:22 is the only reference to Hanukkah in the entire Bible. So it's a holiday celebrated by the Jews only and only mentioned in the New Testament? Anyway . . .
John 2:18-19 "Then the Jews demanded of him, 'What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?' Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days'" (NIV).
He dedicates Himself to the world so that through His death for sin, all would be saved. Yeshua is the fulfillment of Hanukkah--as He is the true Temple of God.
John 10:36 "do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" (NASB)
The word "sanctified" above means dedicated, which in Hebrew would be translated Hanukkah.
And taking this comparison a step further:
Yeshua can be likened to the light of the menorah; in fact, He is the shamash, the servant candle. Matthew 20:28 "'just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'" (NIV). The King of the universe left His throne behind and came to this earth to serve US.
So who should celebrate Hanukkah? Are you celebrating Hanukkah?
So Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah during the feast where He, as a Jew, is celebrating the re-dedication of the temple of God. And in this passage, Christ, speaking to Jews and, more than likely, some Gentiles, is the true Temple of God. Interesting to note: John 10:22 is the only reference to Hanukkah in the entire Bible. So it's a holiday celebrated by the Jews only and only mentioned in the New Testament? Anyway . . .
John 2:18-19 "Then the Jews demanded of him, 'What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?' Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days'" (NIV).
He dedicates Himself to the world so that through His death for sin, all would be saved. Yeshua is the fulfillment of Hanukkah--as He is the true Temple of God.
John 10:36 "do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
The word "sanctified" above means dedicated, which in Hebrew would be translated Hanukkah.
And taking this comparison a step further:
Yeshua can be likened to the light of the menorah; in fact, He is the shamash, the servant candle. Matthew 20:28 "'just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'" (NIV). The King of the universe left His throne behind and came to this earth to serve US.
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