It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. -John 10:22
This week is the Festival of Dedication, the Feast of Lights, commonly known as Hanukkah. Our Lord Himself celebrated the Festival of Dedication, so let us consider what significance it could hold for us as we follow Him in the obedience of faith.
Let’s start with a quick background recap on Hanukkah, which originally took place about 165 years before Christ was born, in the time between Malachi and Matthew, the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. The Syrians had taken over Jerusalem, killed many Jews, looted the Temple of God, forbid circumcision, abolished daily offerings and sacrifices, set up an altar to Zeus in the Temple of God, and offered unclean pigs as sacrifice on the altar. The practice of Judaism was essentially outlawed, and abominations took place in God’s Temple. But, a Jewish priest and his five sons led a rebellion against the Syrian tyranny and reclaimed the Temple for the Lord. The first and most important thing to do was to light the lamp of the Lord, the eternal flame, which symbolized God’s presence in the Temple and with His people. It was a permanent ordinance of Jewish law that this light should never go out. They searched through the Temple for oil that had not been defiled by the Syrian abominations and found only enough pure oil to last for one night. But God caused the oil to last for eight days and eight nights, which was exactly the length of time it took the priests to prepare and consecrate pure, holy oil, and fulfill the command of keeping the lamp burning.
What the Jews experienced in the natural, as revealed in the Old Testament, we as Christ followers experience in the spiritual, as revealed in the New Testament. Five sons (five being the number of grace) of a priest led a revolt to overcome evil worldly oppression. Jesus, the Son of God, by the grace of God, came to overcome worldly tyranny of evil oppression of all of His people. The Jews could find only enough undefiled, sacred, and blessed oil for one night. Jesus, who lived in the purity of righteousness, and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, was only one man. God caused the oil to last long enough for the Jews to consecrate new oil and continue their obedience to God’s commands. Through the resurrection of Christ, after ascending to heaven, He poured the Holy Spirit out to us so that we may continue in our obedience to His commands. The Temple of God housed the eternal flame, which burned to signify God’s presence with His people. Now, as believers and followers of Jesus, our very own bodies are the temple of God, and we house the Holy Spirit which is God Himself dwelling and burning within us.
We are God’s people, and He is with us. Jesus speaks to this while He is attending the Hanukkah celebration in Jerusalem during His lifetime on earth. He says He knows who His followers are, and His followers know Him. No one can be snatched out of His hand. His Spirit burning within us is the assurance of His presence and through this, He fulfills the everlasting ordinance of light because He never leaves us or forsakes us. In fact, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Not calamity, persecution, hunger, destitution, danger, or even death. God is with us, and we are more than conquerors for He has already overcome every one of our oppressors.
Every year, the Jews celebrate Hanukkah to remember God’s presence with them, and their victory over evil oppression. It is also a remembrance that the Temple of God is sacred and dedicated to the one and only true God. Even after it had been defiled by pagan worship of the gods of the world, and unclean and abominable practices, it could be restored to God’s order through the faithful heart, devotion, and obedience of God’s people, and renewed to righteousness by the light of God’s presence burning within it.
In light of this, (no pun intended) let us hold a festival of dedication during this time of Hanukkah. Let us dedicate or re-dedicate our temples, our bodies, our lives, everything we have, and everything we are to God and to His service. Let us clean out any and all forms and traces of pagan worship, and any uncleanness, worldliness, or ungodliness, and let us be restored and renewed by the purity of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Let us consecrate ourselves to God’s service and walk in the obedience of faith because Jesus is the eternal flame within us, and His flame will never go out.
Scripture References: Exodus 27:20-21, 1 John 3:8, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Acts 2:33, Romans 8:35,37, John10:27-29, Matthew 5:14
Apocryphal Readings: 1 & 2 Maccabees
Originally published as: "Festival of Dedication" - Reprinted from The Obedience of Faith Blog - Copyright © 2013 Wendy Bowen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE