In the passage in the next post, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast of the Dedication. The Hebrew word for “Dedication” is “Hanukkah”. Jesus is celebrating Hanukkah. It is an eight-day festival commemorating an event that took place over a century and a half earlier.
In 167 B. C., on the 25th day of the third Jewish month, the tyrannical king of Syria desecrated the Temple by removing its altar and putting up a pagan altar on which he offered a sacrifice to Zeus. This capped off years of attempts to paganize the Jewish people, some of whom went along with it. Others, however, were willing to die for their faith.
A revolt ensued, and three years to the day after the desecration, , Judas Maccabeus, leader of the revolt, purified the Temple, built a new altar, and re-dedicated it.
There was great rejoicing for many days, and candles played a large part in the celebration.
To celebrate the feast, a nine-branched menorah is used with one main candle from which an additional candle is lit each of the eight days.
Jesus, along with many other Jewish people has come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Hanukkah. During the feast, he comes to the Tempe area, where he is recognized as the prophetic teacher many have been talking about.
The people press to find out if he is the “Christ” (“messiah”). He replies that he is not simply God’s special envoy. He makes an astounding statement: “The Father and I are one.”
On this feast of the re-dedication of the Temple, when Jesus is at that moment standing right there in the sacred environs of the Temple, Jesus says that he replaces the Temple as the visible presence of God among them.
John’s Gospel particularly stresses the oneness of Jesus with the Father. Recall the opening words of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh.”
As I spend some quiet time with the Lord, I need to remind myself with whom I am spending this quiet time.