Guess which Biblical holiday is just around the corner?
note from Mitch Glaser
Shalom and Happy Hanukkah! Beginning on December 4th, Jewish families throughout the world will be lighting menorahs to commemorate one of God’s great victories in Jewish history.
One of the joys of this season is simply to tell the story of Hanukkah. Why not take a moment to read the story of Hanukkah on our website? You can also find great holiday recipes and gift ideas.
Hanukkah is the Feast of Dedication, and during this time many of us who are Jewish reflect on our dedication to God. We are hoping that many Jews and Gentiles are thinking about their personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and with His Messiah, Yeshua. This is why we have chosen to show the debate “Did Jesus Die For Our Sins?” during Hanukkah. More than 2,500 people watched the first webcast, and we received many requests for a re-broadcast.
The debate will be available for a full three days (December 7, 8 and 9) and you can sign up here to receive an e-mail reminder. Please invite your Jewish friends to watch!
May you be filled with the joy that comes from knowing Yeshua our Messiah, the Light of the World!
Your brother,
Mitch Glaser
Where is Hannukkah in the the Bible? John 10:23
Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was in the Temple area, walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The question asked Yeshua while He was there, “Tell us plainly if you are the Messiah or not” had to do with traditions about Hanukkah…when they purified the temple during the Macabean revolt, they piled the stones, waiting for a prophet or Messiah Himself to tell them what to do with them, since they were holy and santicfied, they didn’t know what to do, so they just made a pile. that pile was still there, at the spot Messiah was walking. It doesn’t seem to be too big a stretch to think these things are linked - anymore than being at the mall in front of the choo choo with the candy cane fences and big gold chair might prompt someone to ask if you believe in Santa Claus.
We know that Hanukkah was important enough to be celebrated, even though still a minor holiday, because of the fires lit to confirm the calendar to the dispersed people…big deal, the priests would call for witnesses as to when the new moon showed over Jerusalem, and then light signal fires on the hills, to spread the word, so everyone would be on the same page…and they did this for the months with festivals in them, including the month for Hanukkah, so people would know when to celebrate together. All of this predates Yeshua’s time, and we know He kept the traditions as long as they didn’t invalidate His own word.