Did you know that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah? Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, and though the Jewish religion doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Christ, there’s a lot that we as Christians share with Judaism. Hanukkah means “dedication” and the Bible says that Jesus was in the temple during the “Feast of Dedication.”
Hanukkah is an eight-day feast where they celebrate God’s providence, His taking care of His people. In between the Old Testament and the New Testament, an evil king kicked the Israelites out of the temple and desecrated it (he made it unholy). But God allowed the Israelites to retake the temple, which was a miracle since they were so outnumbered. The Israelites wanted to rededicate the temple to God (make it holy again), and part of that included lighting a lamp and keeping it always burning. They only had enough oil for one day, and it was going to take them eight days to get more, but they decided to dedicate the temple anyway, and God blessed them with a miracle by making that oil last for the whole eight days! On Hanukkah, we celebrate how God provided a miracle for the Israelites so they could dedicate the temple, and on Christmas, we celebrate how God provided a way for all mankind to be saved from our sins through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Hanukkah Bible Verses:
• John 10:22-23 | Jesus and the Feast of Dedication
• John 3:16-17 | Believe in Jesus for eternal life.
• Ephesians 1:5 | God has adopted us into His family. (We get to be “His People” too!)
Hanukkah Family Time Questions:
- What’s at least one miracle celebrated during Hanukkah?
- How is Hanukkah similar to Christmas?
- What are some ways God takes care of us every day?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for always taking care of your people. And thank you especially for the Gift of your Son, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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