Light of the World ~ Jesus Christ ~ Happy Hanukkah!

Around 167 to 160 BCE a group of God fearing, zealous Torah keepers, the Maccabees, revolted against wicked Antiochus- the Greek king. The Torah was outlawed, God's Temple was destroyed and defiled. The Greeks put their false gods into God's Temple. Jews who read the Torah and followed it were put to death. It was horrible. 

One brave priest, Matthias, chose not to worship the Greek gods. He tipped the false god off its pedestal, and said, "Whoever is for God, follow me!" Matthias and his sons, along with many others, went to war against wicked Antiochus. Judah Maccabee, one of Matthias' sons, became the leader of the Maccabees. "Maccabee" means hammer. Although the Maccabees were outnumbered 6 Greek soldiers to 1 Maccabee, the Maccabees won their freedom with God's help. 

After they defeated the Greeks, they cleaned God's Temple and rededicated it to Him. They lit the menorah (seven branched lampstand) that God told them to make and put in the Temple. God told the priests to keep the menorah light burning- it was never supposed to go out. Although they didn't have enough oil, the oil kept burning for eight days until the new purified oil was ready. Another miracle!

God saved His people!

Hanukkah was a fight for religious freedom. A fight for the right to worship God in their own way. A fight to read the Bible. 

John 10:22-23 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade." "Festival of Dedication" is another name for Hanukkah. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah!

During the Festival of Lights, (another name for Hanukkah) we light the menorah, which was in the temple long ago. "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."' John 8:12. Jesus is the Eternal light of the world. Jesus' Light cuts through any darkness- He is the Light of the world. 

Hanukkah is about the light defeating the darkness. It's about a fight for religious freedom- and the Maccabees won. Let us pray for a miracle- and that the darkness will be completely revealed. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5.

Happy Hanukkah!!!