Hanukkah coincides with Christmas this year. From the evening of December 24th until January 2nd, 2025, Jews worldwide celebrate the Festival of Lights, also known as the Festival of Dedication of the Temple. It falls during the darkest time of the year. The two festivals are not only close in date; Hanukkah also carries a hopeful message that resonates with the Christian Christmas celebration.
By Dave Kissling, Young Christians Standing with Israel (JCSI)
The external, seasonal darkness reflects the state of the world, torn apart by terror, war, and hatred. Few groups of people experience this as directly as the Jewish people. Yet Hanukkah is a joyous festival. For eight days, Jewish homes celebrate and sing after sunset. Friends are invited, children receive gifts, and festive foods are enjoyed, much like many Christians celebrate Christmas. A central element is the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah, which is lit each evening.
Hanukkah originated in the second century BC. Two events are central to its story: First, the liberation of Israel from the tyrannical rule of the Greek Seleucids. The Seleucids had attempted to destroy Jewish identity and banned the practice of the faith. Those who remained faithful to the God of Israel and the commandments of the Bible were brutally persecuted. These accounts are reminiscent of the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. A group of courageous Jews, the Maccabees, resisted. They managed to win a years-long war against overwhelming odds. Afterward, they rededicated the Temple and reinstated the worship service. Hence the name Hanukkah, which derives from the Hebrew word for "dedicate.".
Here, one senses that the situation then has many parallels to the present. Global antisemitism is more prevalent than ever. Biblical values are increasingly under attack in both the community and society. Even on a personal level, some are experiencing that true obedience to God and solidarity with the Jewish people can come at a price.
Hanukkah carries three important messages out into the world:
1. The light of the Jewish people shines in the dark world
In the Bible, the Jewish people are tasked with being a light to the nations. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over their enemies. It proclaims to the world that any attempt to destroy Jewish identity—religiously, politically, or militarily—will fail. God protects his people. Light triumphs over darkness.
A striking image of this is the Hanukkah menorah in front of the synagogue in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. It was constructed from debris from Palestinian rockets and Israeli interceptor missiles. What a message. What was intended to harm the Jewish people becomes a symbol that the Jewish people, the light for all nations, continue to shine.
2. God's glory shines in the midst of the Jewish people
Jewish tradition recounts the second pivotal event. When the Maccabees attempted to reactivate the menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum in the Temple, they found they lacked kosher oil as fuel. Only a small jug remained intact. Producing new oil would have taken several days. The menorah's light signifies the glorious presence of God. Without it, no worship in the Temple was possible.
The Maccabees decided to light the menorah anyway. Miraculously, it burned for eight days until fresh oil arrived. For this reason, Jews light another candle on the Hanukkah menorah each of the eight days of the festival. It is then placed in a window so that the light can shine visibly out into the world. It increases each day. It proclaims to the world that darkness cannot extinguish the glory of God that is with this people (compare Romans 9:4).
3. The light of the Messiah of Israel illuminates the dark world
Hanukkah is not one of the major biblical festivals, like Passover or Sukkot. However, we know from John 10:22-23 that Jesus Christ celebrated Hanukkah. The festival was evidently so important to him that he traveled to Jerusalem specifically for it. After all, he shares Israel's calling to be a light to the nations. This was proclaimed about him just eight days after his birth, which we celebrate at Christmas. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Simeon testifies in the Temple: "For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:30-32) The light of the Messiah continues to shine into this world, and darkness cannot extinguish it.
Wouldn't this year be a good opportunity to rediscover and express our connection with the Jewish people and the Messiah of Israel?
The light of the Hanukkah menorah
How about buying or making a Hanukkah menorah (it only needs eight equally sized candles and one larger one from which the others are lit) and placing it next to the Christmas arch in the window?
To proclaim to the world that the Jewish people are as alive as their calling to be a light and a blessing to the nations.
To proclaim to the world that the glorious presence of God is still with this people and that we are allowed to share in it.
To announce to the world that the Messiah of Israel, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, has come into this world as a light.
The words from Isaiah 60:1-3 are familiar to many as classic Christmas verses; at the same time, they speak in a powerful way to the current situation surrounding Israel, Hanukkah, and the world: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Behold, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord will rise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. The nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
Chag Sameach! Happy Holiday!
