As the sun sets on December 24 this year, ushering in Christmas eve, the first light of Hanukkah is also lit. This rare alignment of calendars offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the meaningful connection between these two celebrations. One marks the birth of the Light of the World, and the other, the Festival of Lights. Together, they illuminate the heart of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
What Is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates a miraculous victory in Jewish history. During the 2nd century BCE, a small group of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, overcame a much larger and oppressive Seleucid army. Their victory led to the rededication of the desecrated Temple in Jerusalem. According to tradition, a single day’s supply of oil for the Temple’s menorah burned for eight days, symbolizing God’s provision and faithfulness.
What Is Christmas?
Christmas, celebrated by Christians worldwide, recalls the birth of Jesus, called Yeshua in Hebrew. It tells the story of the eternal God stepping into history, born as a child in Bethlehem. The angelic announcement to the shepherds declared him as the Savior and Messiah, bringing good news of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10-11). This child, born under the light of Bethlehem’s star, grew to fulfill his mission: to become the Light of the World, illuminating a path through the darkness for all.
Jesus @ Hanukkah
The Gospel of John (10:22-42) records Jesus walking in Solomon’s portico during Hanukkah. It was there he faced the pivotal question: “Are you the Messiah?” At the Festival of Lights, the Light of the World stood in their midst. Yet, as John 1:5 sadly notes, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Like those Judeans, we often fail to comprehend the light that shines in the darkness. Yet, we look around at the brokenness of the world and yearn for a savior to fix it. The message of both Hanukkah and Christmas is that God has already acted. In Hanukkah, we see a temporary deliverance, a momentary restoration of freedom and worship. In the Christ story, we see the ultimate deliverance: a Messiah(Christ is Greek for Messiah) who offers permanent freedom and eternal hope.
The Messianic Hope
At its core, Hanukkah celebrates the restoration of God’s presence in the Temple. Christmas reveals that God’s presence has come to dwell not just in a building but in and among us. The victory celebrated at Hanukkah was the reclaiming of holy space for worship. The victory announced at Christmas is the reclaiming of humanity itself for God’s glory.
As the shepherds confirmed Jesus as the spotless Lamb and the Magi hailed him as the promised King, the Light of the World stepped into our darkness. His light calls us to turn our eyes away from the darkness that ravages and overwhelms us. As John 1:11 declares, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” But for those who do receive Him, he offers the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
A Season of Light
This year, as the candles of Hanukkah flicker and the lights of Christmas shine, let us remember their shared message: God’s faithfulness in the face of darkness. Whether through the miraculous oil of Hanukkah or the miraculous birth of Jesus, God has shown his power to bring light into the darkest of times.
Hanukkah’s menorah and Bethlehem’s star both point us to the same truth: the light we long for has come. Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, is not only Israel’s hope but the hope of the entire world. Let his light guide you this season, as it did the shepherds and the Magi, and may you find in him the peace and joy that no darkness can overcome.
