May I remind my Christian friends that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. And in fact, in the Gospel of John, we learn that He was at the Holy Temple during Hanukkah A.K.A the Feast of Dedication and Festival of Lights.

Jesus never let a teaching opportunity pass by. This event was no exception. Lighting the Temple flames was a huge deal in Jesus’ day. Full of traditions and deep meaning. A time for Jews to commemorate God’s miracle of new light and life with joy and thanksgiving. The Maccabees appropriately choose to celebrate God’s victory at this time as it coincided with the Feast of Tabernacles when Solomon dedicated the newly built temple for eight days. I cannot get into the richness of this story here, but I encourage you to research it on your own.

In the midst of this celebratory frenzy, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).  There is no mistaken meaning. The menorah lights are beautiful but temporal, Jesus’ light is eternal. Let’s celebrate the LIGHT of the World!

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for spreading your Light and Love on the entire world. I pray that people from different cultures, religions, and all walks of life receive You as their Lord and Savior today!

Jesus commanded us to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Let us pray for the Salvation of our loved ones and even for our enemies.