1. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade." (Jn. 10:22-23 NIV) Hanukkah means dedication. Jesus went to the temple during Hanukkah, a festival celebrating the dedication of the temple. There is no reason for John to mention this unless he wants his readers to infer that Jesus recognized the significance of Hanukkah. Of course, Jesus is Jewish and celebrated all the Jewish festivals, so this should not be a surprise.
2. The story of Hanukkah is in the Bible. Daniel 8 and Daniel 11 give detailed prophecies of all the events related to Antiochus Epiphanes and the desecration of the temple. Daniel 8:14 specifically speaks of the temple's rededication, the event that Hanukkah celebrates.
3. The New Testament specifically calls on Christians to look to the heroes of Hanukkah as heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11:35 (the "faith chapter") says, "Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection." The "others" must be a woman who was tortured while placing her hope in the resurrection. This story is told in 2 Maccabees 7, and it is a powerful story of faithfulness to God's Word in a time of intense persecution. This is part of what Hanukkah remembers. True, 2 Maccabees is not part of the canonical books of the Bible. However, the author of Hebrews refers to the events described there as true events. We can learn from books even if they aren't part of Scripture.
4. Jesus, referring to Daniel, called on his followers to prepare for a time of persecution (Matthew 24-25). Daniel and Revelation connect the events of Hanukkah with the end-time antichrist. Hanukkah is like a preview of what the final seven year period will be like. Christ's return will itself result in a rededication of the temple. Celebrating Hanukkah is a great way to prepare for and look forward to this time.
5. Hanukkah reminds us that we are God's temple. We must seek purity and flee from idolatry.
6. But isn't Hanukkah a Jewish holiday? Well, yes. But Christianity is a Jewish religion. Jesus and the apostles were Jewish. The writers of the Old and New Testaments were Jewish. Christmas is a celebration of the Jewish Messiah coming into the world. Good Friday remembers God's Passover lamb slain for us. Communion was instituted during the Jewish Passover. And so on. Just because something is Jewish does not imply that Christians need to avoid it, otherwise there wouldn't be much that Christians could do.
None of this means that Christians have to celebrate Hanukkah, or that there is anything wrong with celebrating Christmas. In my opinion, the more the merrier! Adding Hanukkah traditions to your holiday celebrations can have helpful spiritual benefits.
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