One On One: 100 Days With Jesus--ADVENTChikamu

Light: The One who is with us

When the first twinkling lights show up in December, we know a magical, meaningful season has begun. 

The boy Jesus would have loved the holidays as much as we do. When Mary lit the candles for Hanukkah, picture Him staring at the menorah, excited each evening to light one after another until all eight candles flickered in the darkness. It had been less than 200 years since God had rescued Israel from Syrian takeover and this sacred candelabra told the story of “nes gadol haya sham,” the great miracle that happened. 

In 165 b.c. the Syrian king, Antiochus took over Israel and demanded the Jews abandon God and His ways. He declared it illegal to read God’s Word. Illegal to circumcise. Illegal to pray. To make sure no one could worship God in the temple, Antiochus sacrificed a pig on the altar. 

Leading the miraculous revolt against Syria were the Maccabees, a family of courageous priests. Tradition says in the middle of the take-back, they lit the sacred candelabra in the temple, a symbol of God’s presence with them, and a day’s worth of oil supernaturally burned for eight. The celebration commemorating the temple’s re-dedication is called Hanukkah (dedication), the festival of lights. 

Jesus celebrated Hanukkah His whole life. In John 10 we read He was in Jerusalem at the temple, celebrating the Festival of Light. No surprise—there was no other place He’d rather be for Hanukkah. 

Jesus’ arrival ended the 400 years the Jews had followed God in His silence. The menorah’s light reminded them of God’s promise, “I will be with you.” In that holy season, Jerusalem was lit up like a Christmas tree. 

When John in his gospel describes how Jesus came into the world, he didn’t talk about the manger or the angels or a star, but instead he wrote, in Jesus was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 

How oddly beautiful it must have been for Jesus, fully God and fully man, to see the lit menorah blazing in the night and remember when as Creator, He spoke the world out of darkness. “Let there be light” and there was. 

Or to remember how for 40 years in the wilderness, night after night, He was with His people as a pillar of fire, a flame to light the way. For more than 14,000 nights He reminded them, “you’re not alone in this darkness. I am with you.” 

He told the Maccabees the same message in the oil that didn’t run out. I am still with you. 

The same thing He tells us when by faith we stand like a candle against a dark world, I am with you. Just as today there’s no other place He’d rather be than with us. 

Tomorrow: One on one with Jesus, why He came