“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.“”
John 10:22-24 NLT
Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication or Feast of Lights, was the time when the Jews held an 8-day festival celebrating a historic Maccabean victory over the Syrian army, and a miraculous event that accompanied the cleansing of the Temple. There is much more about this period in Jewish history that has been recorded and documented, but we’ll look at the events surrounding Jesus as He walked through a part of the Temple “known as Solomon’s Colonnade”. This was a covered area in the Temple complex, and was much favoured later as a meeting point for the early Christians. Jesus being there at that time was perhaps a prophetic indication of His offer of salvation to all who believe in Him, compared with the events that had taken place some years before when the Maccabees had saved the Jews from a foreign and tyrannical power. The people were in the Temple celebrating the previous victory and turned to Jesus wondering if He was the Messiah who would bring another victory against another foreign and tyrannical power – the Romans.
The problem that the people failed to grasp was that Jesus was indeed the Messiah who had come to save His people, but not in the way they thought or hoped. Jesus had come to save them from the consequences of their sins. Luke recorded what Jesus said about His mission in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost”. The people wanted a physical salvation, Jesus came to offer a spiritual salvation. The people had been lulled into a sense of false spiritual security by believing that they could be saved just by doing their best to implement the demands of the Law. So it wasn’t salvation for their souls that they wanted from their Messiah.
In some parts of the world Hanukkah has become a secular holiday because it takes place quite near Christmas in November or December, depending on how the date on the Jewish calendar falls. But there is a spiritual significance in this festival, the Feast of Lights. The miracle that took place when the Maccabees cleansed the temple concerned a supply of a special oil needed for the Menorah, a multi-branded lamp stand. It miraculously lasted for 8 days while the victory celebrations continued and until another supply of oil could be found. The light within the Temple was happening again right in front of the people but they failed to make the connection. Jesus said in John 8:12, “ … I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The light that Jesus brought into the world was far more important and significant than the light supplied by a Menorah, no matter how miraculous the supply of oil was. The Menorah lit up a small dark area within the Temple, but Jesus’ light illuminates the lives of men and women throughout the globe, not just when the sun goes down, but all the time.
We pilgrims have been tasked with the responsibility of bringing the light of Jesus to a sad and dark world, riven and blackened by sin and evil. We ourselves have seen the Light, and have allowed it to infuse every facet of our beings as we go about our business as children of God, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father”. With that Light, and in obedience to Jesus, we illuminate every dark corner in our communities and families. Our “Hanukkah” takes place every day, as we celebrate the victory Jesus brought over sin and death.
Dear Lord Jesus. You are the Light of the World and always will be. Thank You. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 