Dedication, Lights, Miracle!

 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication.  John 10:22

It doesn’t happen often, but this year on Christmas at sunset  the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began. Also known as the Festival of Lights that lasts for eight days. This is the observance of when a rag tag group of Jews called the Maccabees fought against the Romans to take back control of the Temple that was being used for idol worship and sacrifices of unclean animals.

Once under Jewish control, they needed to cleanse the Temple as best they could, for there was blood from pig sacrifices splattered all over the place. Then in order to rededicate the temple the Lamp signifying light over darkness that will never go out needed to be lit. However, there was only one big problem, there was only enough special  Temple oil for one night and it takes eight days to cure a new batch. So by faith, they lit the lamp and then, the miracle occurred it burned bright for eight days and new Temple oil could refill the lamp and keep it burning.

Over the next few days we will be learning about how Dedication, Lights and Miracles can still be observed by learning  their meanings and applying them in today’s world. The first thing to take note of is that Hanukkah is never mentioned in the Old Testament and only once in the New, in today’s verse. It is connection the Old with the New, Gentile Believers and the Jews, and seeing Jesus in it.