Hanukkah and Christmas – 25 December 2024

Copyright by James Carlson

The Holy Days of celebration, or the Holidays, is a tradition shared by many Jews and Christians. The tradition of Hanukkah is one of a miracle of lights and the Christ-mas tradition is one of the light of the world when the miracle of a virgin born Son of God came to light up everyone’s life with love and forgiveness. The light has never gone out of Israel (or the Jews). Celebrating these traditions this year provides an opportunity to see how they merge together for one true message from the light of God.

Hanukkah is clearly a Jewish festival that has roots spanning the time before the common era (BCE) or before Christ (BC). This has been called the Festival of Lights, or the Feast of Dedication (‘Hanukkah’ means ‘Dedication’) or the Feast of the Maccabees. It was the Maccabees during the Hasmonean revolt against the Syrian Greeks (Seleucids)

The “Megillath Antiochus” (1st or 2nd century common era (CE) or anno domini (year of the Lord: AD) gives us view into the origins of Hanukkah:

The Hasmoneans entered the sanctuary, rebuilt its gates, closed the breaches and cleansed the Temple court from the slain and from the impurities. They looked for pure olive oil to light the Menorah, and found only one bottle with the seal of the High Priest so that they were sure of its purity. Though its quantity seemed sufficient only for one day’s lighting it lasted for eight days owing to the blessing of the God of heaven who had established his name there. Hence the Hasmoneans and all the Jews alike instituted these eight days as a time of feasting and rejoicing, like any festival prescribed in the Torah; and of kindling lights to commemorate the victories God had given them. 

[<https://web.archive.org/web/20110516113150/http://webs.wichita.edu/mschneegurt/jewish/scroll.pdf>]

The menorah is an 7 branched candle stick used to light the Holy place in the Temple. And when the temple was cleansed of the impurities that the Seleucids defiled it with, the menorah was lit but with only enough oil for 1 day. Instead, it lasted 8 days and was a miracle provided by God to say the Spirit of God has not departed nor His Light from the children of Israel.

Flavius Josephus (a Roman Jewish historian) shares how the Festival of Lights was celebrated from the time of the Maccabees up to when the Temple was destroyed in AD 70:

Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days; and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon: but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that hence was the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls around the city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He also fortified the city of Bethsura, that it might serve as a citadel against any distresses that might come from our enemies.

[<Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 12.323. William Whiston, A.M., Ed., http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0146:book=12:section=323>]

The menorah of Hanukkah is a 9 branched candelabra used to commemorate the 8 days of the miracle of lights. This Festival of Lights begins on the evening of Kislev 25 and continues for eight days. This year, it will begin on December 25, 2024, the same day the Christian world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World.

In John 10:22–23, we read that Jesus was in Jerusalem, at the Temple during the Feast of Dedication.

22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

Previously, Jesus revealed himself as the Light of the World (John 8:12).

2 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

As he celebrated the Festival of Lights, Jesus also revealed himself to be the Messiah (or Christ) of Israel.

The birth of Christ was a fulfillment of prophesy for many centuries in the Hebrew record. The Greek text shows the fulfillment of the prophesies pointing to the person of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World. In Luke 2:8-21, when the angels declared to the shepherds the birth of Christ (the Messiah):

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus was on trial for his life when Pontius Pilate asked him a question (John 18:37):

37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus went to the Cross to pay for the penalty of our sin. He arose from the dead 3 days later declaring our complete forgiveness of sin, to live a life of righteousness by the leadership of His Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.

If we believe in Jesus and His work on the Cross, God will raise us from the death of our own sin and give us a new human spirit. The Holy Spirit will dwell in us and guide us in our new Spirit born life. The ‘Messiah’ is the ‘anointed one’ and the anointing is the Holy Spirit. Christians are little anointed ones or little ‘christs.’ We are born of the Spirit, led of the Spirit, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ that we can be born again of the Spirit, forgiven of sin.

Jesus, conceived by the Spirit, born of the flesh, died in the flesh for our sins, and was raised by the Spirit for our justification. We are born of the Spirit if we believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Led of the Spirit, as little anointed ones (Christ-ians), we follow the Spirit. Christianity is uniquely a Spirit born and led religion.

The Spirit of Christ (the Messiah) will give you the Light of Life in Jesus. The candle will be lit in your heart by the Spirit of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And this light will never go out.