did jesus celebrate hanukkah

This is the traditional story but there is something more to be aware of. 6:19-20). From Michelin-starred menus to gilded historic sites, these restaurants are worth a visitwhether or not youre a tourist. 8:12). They celebrate the birth of a man whose earthly ministry overwhelmingly encompassed Jews. In 2023 Hanukkah begins on the evening of Thursday 7 December. Some may celebrate at home, while others, like these children in Colorado Springs, may light the menorah during Hanukkah services at their local synagogue. Without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas. Just as He was faithful to bring them through Persian persecution, He was faithful to send them the Messiah Yeshua. Often it is positioned higher than the rest. It occurred less than 200 years before the life of Yeshua, between the time of Malachi and John the Baptist. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! John described it: an unction from the Holy One. From its inception, Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, is a time and season for rededication to God. Jesus and Hanukkah John 10:22-42 concludes a festival cycle in John 5:1-10:42: Sabbath (chap. Thus, we may say that both celebrations, Hanukkah and Christmas, look to the Messiah, but from two different perspectives like two olives on each side of the Menorah in the beautiful vision of Zechariah that is read in synagogues on the Sabbath of Hanukkah: I am looking, and thereisa lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on thestandseven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. We need to be very careful with the text here - John 10:22 only says that Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast Dedication which most understand to be "Hanukkah", the historic celebration of the Maccabean Revolt and rededication of the temple. The story of Hanukkah: how a minor Jewish holiday was remade in the But as with the Maccabees, God has always raised up a valiant remnant to maintain His covenant with the fathers. The Feast of Hanukkah commemorates the victory God gave the Jewish people over Antiochus and his mighty army. How did Jesus celebrate it? Centuries of antisemitism in the church have created massive rifts between Jewish and Christian communities. How do we celebrate Hanukkah today? Why did Jesus in John 7:2-43 ignore fulfillment of Leviticus 23:36-39 for the 8th day of Chag Sukkot causing Unrest instead of Rest? More relevant for our present subject, however, is the account's value for some discussions today. The editorial staff of Christianity Today had no role in the creation of this content. Here's what you should know. What time of the year did Jesus raise Lazarus? What's the meaning (qualifications) of "machine" in GPL's "machine-readable source code"? 8:12). Unsurprisingly, many recognize the role of Jesus in the special candle on the Hanukkah menorah. Doug is the founder of Ezra Adventures, a travel and education company, specializing in exclusive customized small group travel throughout Israel and the Middle East. Julia writes Torah Portion commentaries for different sites, and has been doing Torah weekly lessons at Netiviah radio. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! This year Hanukkah starts on Sunday, December 18, and ends Monday, December 26. When is Hanukkah this year and why the Jewish Festival of Lights is Anti-Semites later abused this Gospel, but today scholars (and most other readers) recognize that anti-Semitic abuses run counter to the work's original purpose. This ancient society tried to stop El Niowith child sacrifice. Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean (Hasmonean) victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reigned 175164 bce) and the rededication of the Temple on Kislev 25, 164 bce. Did Yeshua Celebrate Hanukkah? - Truth Ignited Ministry Led by Mattathias and his son Judas Maccabeus (died c. 161 bce), the Maccabees were the first Jews who fought to defend their religious beliefs rather than their lives. Foreshadowing Victory in the End Times, Let There Be Light! The strange saga of Hvaldimir the Russian spy whale. In 164, Judah won back Jerusalem and restored the Temple, cleansing and rededicating it. Conclusion: Christian observances of Jewish holidays - Wikipedia She studied in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (religious studies), Tallinn Institute of Philosophy and History (Estonia), and Tartu University ( Estonia). of a group of Jewish people (the Maccabees) over the Syrian Greeks, who had been occupying the Land of Israel since before 167 B.C. Jesus Celebrated Hanukkah Christmas as a holiday did not exist until centuries after Jesus was born. For eight nights, candles are lit in a menorah, a candelabrum with spaces for nine candlesone for each night plus a servant candle called the shamash (shammes in Yiddish). Celebrated over eight days and nights, Hanukkah commemorates a peoples uprising and holy miracle from more than 2,000 years ago. It is time to renew our dedication to God's claim upon our lives in order to have a godly influence on those around us who sit in spiritual darkness. By that I mean that he grew up in a traditional 1st century Judean Hebrew household. Thus, they became known as the Maccabees. And so because God keeps His promises, please join us in dedicating ourselves anew to live for Him by the power of the Ruach ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit who burns withinus. [Recall that a tradition is only wrong when it interferes with truth or nullifies it, eg, Matt 15:5, 6.]. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious observances. They waged a successful rebellion against Antiochus and drove the Syrians out of Israel. And its a time for joyous songs and prayers. I'll take your pointers into account in the future. Shammai held that all eight candles should be lit the first night, with the number decreasing by one each night thereafter. The rededication of the Temple was a reminder of Gods power to keep His promises and preserve His people Israel. He was the Deliverer they were looking for, but for a life far beyond the earthly troubles. Hanukkah: Why Did Jesus Celebrate the Feast of Dedication? Jesus Himself declared two months earlier, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (Jn. You dont need to. This 400-year season in traditional biblical history is often referred to as the silent years. Many saw the correlation, so they asked Him about it directly: At that time theFeast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the templearea, in the portico ofSolomon. So why do we celebrate Hanukkah for eight nights? Taking a leap of faith, they relit the Menorah , and by a miracle of God, it continued to burn for eight days, till new oil was made available. In fact, the prophet Daniel predicted the wicked deeds of Antiochus (Daniel 811) and even depicted him as a type of the anti-Christ, the beast of Revelation 13. Hes a little guy, with nine small candles running down the curve of his scaly back. The practice is enshrined in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), which describes the miracle of the oil in the Temple. His new online video course, "10 Prophecies Fulfilled in Our Lifetime" connects bible prophecy with its fulfillments in Israel today. Everyone recognizes that Jesus himself was never in a position to celebrate Christmas. When is Hanukkah 2023? At its core, it is a celebration of casting Greek influences out of Jewish life and returning to Gods instructions for life and worship. This month, those of us who have accepted His claims can celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah as well as the miracle of Christs birth. But the wiser question would be, is the actual name of the holiday the Festival of Lights or rather Feast of Dedication? -. The Jewish people were then living under the oppression of King Antiochus IV and Hellenistic pagan practices. Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the lord is risen upon you. They were looking for salvation by an earthly deliverer from earthly problems. Some scholars suggest that this passage depicts Jesus as consecrated or dedicated to God the way this festival celebrated the altar's rededication (cf. Paul revealed, You are the temple of the living God, and His Spirit dwells in you. Only as God come in the flesh is Jesus able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.. I updated my question with it. For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the world: walk as children of light. Omissions? [ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Maccabees+10&version=NRSV ]. After nearly two millennia of separation and often alienation between Jewish people and Christians, generated by inexcusable anti-Semitism in Christianized cultures, both Jewish and Christian readers can look back to the Jewish figure at the heart of the Christian faith. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of theTemple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt against theSeleucid Empire. No wonder everybody waited for a deliverer hoping and believing the footsteps of this deliverer had already been heard! Not seldom it is right in the middle. And then, there is one that is different. For which of these are you going to stone me? [33] The Jews answered, It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God. [34] Jesus answered, Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods? How does John use the Feast of Dedication in John 10? Likewise, he appears as the foundation stone from which living water would flow, a hope specifically celebrated at the festival of Tabernacles. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. The controversial man behind the atomic bomb, Discovering time-honored traditions in Texas, 4 French royal mistresses who made their mark on history. Maybe a days worth of oil supernaturally burned for eight days and maybe it did not. How does the OS/360 link editor create a tree-structured overlay? Mattityahu replied, I, my sons and my brothers will remain loyal to the covenant which our G?d made with our fathers! After that, Mattityahu left the village of Modiin and fled, together with his sons, to the hills of Judea and all loyal and courageous Jews joined them. Read More from Sharon Hardy Knotts and R. G. Hardy, Listen to Sermons by Sharon Hardy Knotts and R. G. Hardy. This rebellion, led by the Maccabees, proved successful. The salvation He offered was not from Roman oppression but from the oppression of Satan, sin and even death itself. Thanks, Ollie! Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him (v.31). However, these books are not part of theTanach(Hebrew Bible), and therefore, surprisingly, we find the clearest mention of Hanukkah in the Bible, in the New Testament! The Talmud, Judaism's other central sacred text, asks this very question. The Jews of Jesus' day were well aware of the events that had led to the Feast of Dedication when they approached Him in the holy Temple on Hanukkah. John 10:22-39 describe Jesus' teaching as He was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication (also called Hanukkah). Hanukkah is one of the most joyous of Jewish holidays. In John 8, Jesus tells his followers that he is the "light of the world." When he spoke those words, his Jewish audience would have heard them like an alarm bell ringing. But the earliest source we have of this term suggested something very different. Thus, we have no explicit record of Jesus celebrating Hanukkah but neither do we know if he did not. Exodus 27:20. Learning more about Jewish customs can enrich our faith and strengthen the church. But you GET to! (Romans destroyed Jerusalem a quarter century before the probable time when John wrote his Gospel, so this setting was not likely an idea simply invented in his own day.). He claimed divine power to preserve and sustain His people, but not in the manner they had hoped for and expected. The book of 1 Maccabees in the Apocrypha speaks of Jewish zealots who were passionate for the Torah. This timeline covers the life and ministry of Jesus from late 29 A.D. to the end of the year. Even Yeshua showed up for the celebration of this Feast of Dedication. Heres why. John's historically plausible claim about Jesus' observance of traditional festivals is of interest today. That is the only biblical reference to a well-known winter holiday that Jesus celebrated, a holiday many will celebrate this month. In Israel Hanukkah is a national holiday, and students present plays, sing holiday songs, and have parties. This content has been adapted from an earlier Jews for Jesus article. Four years after he first appeared in Norwegian waters wearing a camera harness, the beluga whale is on the moveand may be in danger. They missed the miracle of Immanuel, God with us. Jesus said that now we are called to be the light of the world and to Let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). Solomon's dedication on the other hand of the altar of the temple occurred before the feast of the seventh month, which is, further away from 'winter' than the former. He loves the passionate devotion of those that follow Him. King Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 to 164 B.C. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Psalm 22:1). Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah in John 10:22? He forbade the honoring of the Torah (the Jewish Scriptures), Shabbat (Sabbath), the Moed (Feasts of the Lord), circumcision, and all Jewish observances. Thus, the uprising began. Gods claim by virtue of the redemption price paid by the shed blood of His Son: Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (ruach ha kodesh) which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? Jesus celebrated Hanukkah! - High Time to Awake Unlike the temple menorah with only seven candles, the Hanukkiah holds nine: the final flame is called the shamash, or servant candle, and its used to light all the others. It is not one of the major feasts of the Lord that was given to Moses for the Jewish people to keep as part of their covenant with God. 3:16-17). Should we get lobsters high before eating them? Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah? - Christianity Stack Exchange Please be respectful of copyright. Having evicted the pagan idolaters from their Holy Temple, they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate it to the Lord. Get all the details on the holiday here . It is a wonderful time to reflect on the origin of the holiday. Was Nepal right to ban solo trekking in the Himalayas? The legend of the oil isnt mentioned until much later, in the Talmud. Corrections? Julia Bloom is a teacher and a writer. So, lets take a closer look at Hanukkahs propheticstory, to fully grasp its message of light and dedication. Youre about to get these answers to these questions and uncover the symbols, prophetic meaning and traditions of Hanukkah. When he demanded that the Jewish people worship the Greek gods and give up their Jewish identity, they revolted. Nevertheless, they lit the menorah and began the sanctification process. And, why Hanukkah mattered to Jesus. The Prince of the Power of the Air, Part 3, All Articles by Sharon Hardy Knotts and R. G. Hardy, All Sermons by Sharon Hardy Knotts and R. G. Hardy, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. to teach the people because of the available crowds. Hanukkah is a demonstration of Gods faithfulness to the Jewish people. Hanukkah is celebrated around the world, wherever there are Jewish people. Hanukkah, in short, becomes for some the Jewish Christmas." Ironically, by elevating Hanukkah as a Jewish alternative . Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah? [31] The Jews took up stones again to stone him. They had become totally assimilated into the pagan culture around them. Perhaps this is the God that you recognize. But they only had a one-day supply of holy oil, and it would take eight days to make more.
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