I recently returned from Israel where I was blessed to enjoy the first few days of Hanukkah this year. According to popular opinion, Hanukkah has nothing to do with the Christian celebration of Christmas. Or does it?

Today, I want to make the argument that it does! True…Christmas trees, tinsel, and gift-giving are totally unrelated to hanukkiah (9-branch menorahs), dreidels, and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). But there would be no Christmas without Hanukkah! Here’s why:

Hanukkah celebrates an intertestamental event that occurred while the Jewish people were under the rule of the Assyrian king Antiochus. In an attempt to wipe out the Jewish culture and religion, Antiochus ended Temple worship and even erected idols in the Holy Place. From the demoralization of the Jewish people arose a band of warriors known as the Maccabees who miraculously recaptured the Temple and Jerusalem.

Once recaptured, they began to cleanse the Temple and search for oil that was used to illuminate the menorah. They discovered enough for only one day, and it took 8 days to properly prepare the oil for use in the Temple Menorah. However, “nes gadol haya sham“…a great miracle happened there! God miraculously caused that 1-day supply to last for 8 days!

There are two miracles and a common theme I want to share with you. The first miracle was the preservation of the Jewish people. Had Antiochus succeeded in destroying Jewish culture and religion, Israel would have lost her unique identity. There would have been no recognizable Jewish culture from which the Messiah could come. There would have been no Temple from which the Christmas story originates! (See Luke 1)

When tempted to doubt God’s saving power in our own lives, we would do well to remember the miraculous saving power He exhibited on behalf of a small band of warriors who were victorious against all odds!

The second miracle was the miracle of light. One day’s supply of oil lasted 8 days! That is why the hanukkiah has 9 branches, rather than the typical 7 branches of a menorah. The ninth branch (an elevated, middle branch) is the shamash, or “servant candle.” It is used to light the other eight.

In addition, it is believed that this Feast of Dedication (which Jesus Himself attended…see John 10:22-23) occurred during or around the time of the Feast of Tabernacles…another celebration of light! These things happened in an area of the Temple where Jesus proclaimed:

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
~John 8:12

You see, Jesus is the shamash, the servant candle! He lights our way, He sends the Holy Spirit (oil) to ignite us, and He calls us to be a light unto the world! Jesus is the fulfillment of the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), just as He is the fulfillment of the 7 major feasts of Israel!

Now, to the common theme that links Hanukkah and Christmas: Immanuel! You see, Antiochus entered the Temple to defile it, and he declared himself Antiochus Epiphanes, meaning “God manifest.” (False messiah!) Yet, Jesus Christ proved to actually be what Antiochus had claimed: the Incarnate God.

The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
~Isaiah 7:14

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
~Matthew 1:23

It was during the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) that Jesus stood in the Temple to declare “I and my Father are one,” after which bystanders accused Him of blasphemy and picked up stones to stone Him. (John 10:30-33)

It is only because Jesus, the “servant candle” is Immanuel (God with us) that He could become the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins!

• He was born to die and rise victorious
• He was born to light our way and make us light unto a dark world
• He was born to be adored by Jews and Gentiles alike

Had it not been for the victory that the Jews celebrate as Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas celebration for Christians! Therefore, perhaps it is appropriate to add Chag Semeach Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah) to our Christian greeting of Merry Christmas!

May you be blessed as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Light of the World!  Merry Christmas…and Happy Hanukkah!