Jesus Fulfilled the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)

by | Faith, Success Scripture

The Feasts of the Bible are primarily Jewish in nature, yet they were all fulfilled in Yeshua (Jesus).

John 8:12 (NKJV)
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Hanukkah (The Feast of Dedication) is also referred to as the Festival of Lights because of the miraculous provision of oil for the eternal light in the Temple. The reference to Hanukkah as the Festival of Lights is where Jesus comes into the prophetic picture. Twice in the Gospel of John, Jesus declared that He is the light of the world. Those 2 references are found in John 8:12 and John 9:4-5. Jesus not only said He was the light of the world; He also said I am the Good Shepherd, which intimated that He was the Messiah.

In John 10 verses 11 and 14, Jesus said that He was the good shepherd. The light of the world and the Good Shepherd would both be known by the Jews as terms ascribed to the Messiah. Jesus was in effect saying that He was the promised Messiah, thus fulfilling the Feast of Dedication. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Dedication by declaring that He was the Messiah.

As a result of Jesus fulfilling this feast, the Feast of Dedication could also be called Messiah Day or Christ Day (for Christmas). Many trace Christmas to the Emperor Constantine when he merged Christian tradition with pagan festivals. It’s commonly known that Jesus wasn’t born during the month of December; however, on the 25th day of Kislev – the Hebrew month that corresponds most closely to our December – the 25th day of Kislev is the day that Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Christ, the Messiah. Therefore, the 25th day of Kislev, although it’s not Jesus’ actual birthday, is indeed Christ day – the day Jesus said He was the Messiah. Evidently, Constantine got it right for all the wrong reasons!

As the Jews celebrate Hanukkah and the Gentiles celebrate Christmas, we can all embrace 3 things:

  1. We can remember that God has an eternal plan for Jerusalem and will preserve Israel in the last days. Any anti-semitic attitude or activity is simply going against God’s plan.
  1. We can celebrate the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, and has delivered the human race from the powers of darkness. If the cleansing of the Temple in the days of the Maccabees marks a decisive moment in history, how much more should we celebrate the history of Jesus – both His first and second comings!
  1. We can rededicate our personal temples by presenting our bodies and renewing our minds to the truth of God’s Word.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!