Soooo, what's the real story behind these two celebrations we call Hanukkah and Christmas?
Although the holiday of Hanukkah is not a high holy day, it is preserved in the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees and observed. The holiday of Hanukkah, or Feast of Lights, celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in Israel. It begins in the reign of Alexander the Great, who conquered Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. About 100 years later, Antiochus IV rose to power in the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. One of the groups which opposed Antiochus was led by Mattathias and his son Judah Maccabee.
The Maccabees succeeded in driving the Syrian army out of their land. They cleansed and re-dedicated the Temple. When it came time to re-light the Menorah, they searched the entire Temple, but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously, the small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought. From then on, Jews everywhere have observed a holiday for eight days in honor of this historic victory and the miracle of the oil. The observance of Hanukkah features the lighting of a special menorah with eight branches, adding one new candle each night.
I know....you are asking yourself that as a Christian, how does anything with a miracle that happened centuries ago and the Jewish Temple’s re-dedication in Israel have any relevance to our walk of faith? Simple. God’s miracles are still worth celebrating today! The past miracles, the present miracles, and the future miracles! And as Christians, we believe in the redemptive work of a Jewish carpenter, Jesus, who was a practicing Jew, also celebrated Hanukkah! So, if it's good enough for our Jesus to celebrate, it very well is good enough for us Christians or at least myself as a Christian, to celebrate also.
“At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon” John 10:22-23. In the same Gospel, John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life”.
Even though as Christians we are not bound by law or tradition to celebrate the Feast of Lights, our Christian faith is rooted in Hebraic tradition. We, along with our Jewish friends, worship the one true God–the God of many miracles! As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas, what a beautiful addition it might be to also include a menorah; reminding us about God’s provision in our lives beginning with the Christmas story, as witnessed in the miracle of the oil, and then rededicating ourselves to Jesus, the perfect and everlasting Light of the World.
