by Tad Lindley
It’s quite possible that you, not having grown up around Jewish people, have never heard of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that lasts for eight nights and eight days. It is a celebration of a miracle that happened at the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the year 164 BC. History indicates that they had only one container of oil, enough for only a single night of light. Through the miraculous provision of God, the lights burned for seven more nights! This year, 2024, Hanukkah runs from sunset on December 25 through sunset on January 2. On those evenings, celebrants will add an additional candle each night to a candle holder called a “menorah.” Gifts will be given and games will be played as has been the case for over 2,000 years.
Is Hanukkah in the Bible?
The word, “Hanukkah” is not in the Bible, and it is quite possible that you have read the Bible many times and never come across an eight day long festival marked by the lighting of the menorah. It turns out that Hanukkah is in the Bible. In fact, Jesus actually gave a very powerful sermon during Hanukkah, so powerful that the people there tried to kill him for it.
If you blink, you’ll miss it
This all happened in the midst of John 10: And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:22-24) You might not have caught Hanukkah in that passage even though I told you it was coming. Look back. Do you see the words, “feast of the dedication?” That is none other than Hanukkah!
Jesus’ Hanukkah message
In response to their question, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly,” Jesus answered with a very powerful message:
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me,
26 but you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:25-30 ESV)
The people’s response
This seems like a slam dunk sermon. Jesus is coming off of opening the eyes of a blind man in John 9, and he has now just proclaimed himself to be doing the very works of God, and closes his sermon claiming that he and God are one! As followers of Jesus, we would have been shouting, “Amen!” and “Preach it!” But the crowd listening responded very differently: Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of these do you stone me?”
The Jews answered him saying, “For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” John (10:31-33)
We might struggle to grasp Jesus’ Hanukkah sermon, but the listeners did not. They very clearly understood that when Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” that he was irrefutably claiming to be God.
Jesus is bigger than eight days
Remember back at the beginning of John where you read these immortal words: All things were made by him: and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and that life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not. (John 1:3-5) Unfortunately the light of eternity stood before those men on a Hanukkah 2,000 years ago and in the blindness of their sin, they could not see him for who he was, but praise God, His light has shined into our darkness and because of him, we can show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light!
Reverend Tad Lindley is a minister at the United Pentecostal Church in Bethel, Alaska.
