In God’s Son (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all… Christ says: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 1:4-5, 8:12; 1 John 1:5)
God is Light
God (Father, Son, and Spirit) is righteous, true, and loving in His character, the opposite of darkness (evil, sin, and falsehood). He is infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably holy, with no shred of iniquity, injustice, or impurity in Him. There is no one like our God, majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders.1 He is our Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, and Shield in whom we take refuge.2 The Lord is great and does marvelous deeds. He alone is God.3
In Jerusalem, around 30 AD, the Lord Jesus attended the Hanukkah celebration. It’s the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights. In John chapter 10, Christ calls the Jewish people to return to trusting and obeying God at a time when true love for the Lord was rare. They were stiff-necked, stubborn, and unwilling to be led by God. Christ calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and Jewish hearers catch His claim to be the Messiah. Ezekiel chapter 34 prophesied that the Messiah would be God’s anointed Shepherd-King of His people.4 Jesus announced that He fulfills Ezekiel’s predictions and He calls Jews and Gentiles to follow Him.
Many Jewish people were looking only for political deliverance from the Roman oppressors. The Lord does not command Hanukkah in Scripture, but that holiday commemorates events that occurred around 165 BC (between the Old and the New Testaments). Against all odds, a small band of Jews led by Judah the Maccabee defeated a mighty army, drove foreigners out, and reclaimed the Jerusalem Temple. Jewish tradition teaches that one day’s supply of oil for the Temple light lasted eight days. Judah was nicknamed “The Hammer,” and most Jewish people were looking for another strong military hero to liberate them again. That’s the setting for John chapter 10.
Jesus’ Claims
As the Lord walked around the Temple area, some Jews asked: “Are you the Messiah (the Christ, God’s anointed and chosen One)”? Jesus answered:
“I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify about Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Then Jesus’ Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone Him.5
Life and Light in Christ
Evangelist Fred Klett comments, “The Messiah they hoped for was too small.” Jesus truly is and claims to be God’s Unique Son who comes to reverse the curse brought on us by Adam and Eve’s rebellion. Christ is the woman’s Seed promised in Eden, who comes to crush Satan’s head.6 He’s the One the whole Old Testament points to! But the Jewish people were not ready to hear that and wanted to kill Jesus. They wanted their kind of Messiah, on their terms, who met their expectations, who granted their wishes. They were disappointed with the real Christ. They wanted what they wanted more than the true and living God who took on flesh and blood. But Jesus does super-abundantly more than all we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams. So let’s not make the same mistake and settle for counterfeits.
Moses said: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”7
Jesus is not a temporary fix for life’s crises in the 1st century or now. He is the Divine Savior who gives us ultimate victory and abundant life. Christ defeats sin, raises the dead, and gives an eternal inheritance to all who repent and believe on Him. In this life, we still face disappointment, death, trouble, and tragedy, but Jesus’ followers will spend all eternity with God (Father, Son, and Spirit) in the New Heaven and New Earth. And that blessing will outshine whatever we suffer now.8 No matter what others have done to us, what sin we struggle with, what hardship we face, Jesus is the Divine Deliverer, Rescuer, and Restorer we need. He demands our total allegiance and
Christ Saves All Kinds of People
Thank God, Jesus doesn’t come only to save Jewish people. God the Father says to God the Son, “It is too small a thing for You to be My servant to restore Jacob’s tribes… I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”9 Today, Jesus is still gathering His believers all around the globe, and He promises, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”10 That promise is being fulfilled right now and will continue to be until Jesus’ return. God is still gathering His people. Will you call on Him now? Will you re-commit to following Him?
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival of lights, but Christ announces something bigger and better. He is God’s Light!
Jesus says: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.11
What a wonderful promise, especially when we are surrounded by so much moral and spiritual darkness today. Jesus’ light reassures us of God’s love, holiness, justice, and truth, and re-orients us back to Him. The Holy Spirit’s word, the Bible, is the lamp for our feet, the light on our path to guide us through this life to Heaven.12 Partly now and perfectly in Heaven, Christ says: “Tears of joy will stream down your faces, and I will lead you home with great care. You will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where you will not stumble.”13
With the Spirit’s blessing, Scripture is a light to guide us, a counselor to advise us, a comforter to reassure us, a staff to support us, a sword to defend us, and a physician to cure us. The Bible is a goldmine to enrich us, a robe to clothe us, and a crown to honor us in Christ… In God’s hands, Scripture is both the breeder and feeder of grace. We are born again by the Lord’s word of truth and we grow up in our salvation by craving the pure spiritual milk of God’s word.14
Believers Are Jesus’ Light Reflectors
Christians are to shine Christ’s life-giving light to the world. “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”15 The Holy Spirit works in us to reflect Jesus and point others to Him.
All of life illustrates Scripture truth, and Hanukkah points to Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, help us to make the teaching about God our Savior attractive, beautiful, radiant, and desirable in every way.16 But Your grace, enable us to do that more consistently this holiday season and until Christ returns for us! Give us Your peace and help us to walk with King Jesus today and be a blessing to others!
Note: Rev. Fred Klett serves with CHAIM, a Reformed ministry to Jewish people. His website is: chaim.org. Fred spoke on this subject in Philadelphia years ago, and I drew on my notes from his sermon.
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 Exodus 15:11. 2 Ps 18:2. 3 Ps 86:10. 4 Psalms 23, 28, 78-79, 80, 95, 100 also speak of the Lord as our Shepherd. God is called our Shepherd in Gen 48:15, 49:24. 5 John 10:25-31. 6 Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4-5; Rom 16:20. 7 Ps 91:1-2. 8 see Rev chapters 21-22. 9 Isa 49:6. 10 Isa 11:9. 11 John 8:12; cf. John 1:1-5. 12 Ps 119:105. 13 Jer 31:9. 14 Adapted from Thomas Brooks and Thomas Watson. 15 2 Cor 3:18. 16 See Titus 2:10.