Through another miracle, the birth of Jesus, God sent His Messiah to live among us as Emmanuel, “God with us.” During His ministry, Yeshua (Jesus) proclaimed that He is the Light of the World (John 8:12).

Into a world darkened by evil, Jesus came to shine God’s light and show us the Father. What humility he had, to be born a baby, grow up and live among sinful humanity. His coming brought us bright hope for our desperate condition as sinners separated from God. Through Him, Believers have fellowship with God and the sure promise of eternal life.

On this second night of Chanukah, we rejoice in the miracle of Chanukah light and the Light of the World. We thank God that He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light in Jesus (1 Peter 2:9).

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place two candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“The people walking in darkness will see a great light. Upon those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, light will shine” (Isaiah 9:1).

“Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

“Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you – that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

“As light I have come into the world, so that everyone who trusts in Me should not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).

Prayer

Father, thank You for sending Your Son as the Light of the World. What a gift that we can know Your love for us and walk in a personal relationship with You because Jesus was born and died to deliver us from sin. Lord, You are so good. You are love, and You are light. Thank You for saving us and bringing us near to You in forgiveness. May You reveal Yourself to us more each day as we seek You with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

A great miracle happened in Jerusalem in the second century B.C.E. Antiochus IV ruled over Israel, seized control of the Temple and defiled it with idols. His soldiers violently persecuted the Jewish people forcing idol worship and brutalizing and killing those who refused.

A vastly outnumbered band of Jewish revolutionaries won back the Temple, and the people set out to cleanse and rededicate God’s holy sanctuary. Legend has it there was only enough undefiled oil to burn in the Temple lampstand for one day. It would take eight days to make and consecrate more. In faith, they lit the lamp, and God did a miracle, making that small amount of oil – dedicated to Him – last the entire eight days.

Throughout the Bible, God has shown His power to intervene and remedy impossible situations. And our Heavenly Father is still a God of miracles. He heals diseases and orchestrates provision through astonishing means. He diverts and delays people from the scene of tragedies, and He works in our hearts to transform our lives.

On this first night of Chanukah, we reflect on the God of miracles – lifting our praise and thanks to our Father, who draws the world to Himself through the wonders of His power and glory.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings – 1st Night

Place a candle in the far-right holder of your Chanukah lampstand. As you light the Shamash – or Servant Candle – recite the first night’s Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the first Chanukah candle. Return it to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

 “…Yeshua said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:26).

“Behold, I am Adonai, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

“He has made His wonderful works to be remembered” (Psalm 111:4a NKJV).

Prayer

God of wonders, You are mighty, and You are glorious. Thank You for the Chanukah miracle and for revealing Your power and love to us through Your works. Thank You for still doing miracles today. Give us faith to believe You for big miracles and eyes to see smaller ones all around us. May You continue to do miracles in our hearts as You transform us into the image of Your Son, Jesus the Messiah.

Maybe all you know about Chanukah is that it occurs in December, Jewish people light candles and they receive gifts for eight days. But what’s behind these details of observance is both miraculous and inspiring.

One thing to note before diving into the story of Chanukah is that throughout history, God’s enemy has been trying to annihilate the Jewish people because the promised Messiah would come from them. Since Jesus came to Earth, Satan continues to attack God’s Chosen People wanting only to destroy them because they are precious to God.

One of the devil’s assaults on the Jewish people came in the second century B.C.E. when Antiochus IV controlled Israel. This madman of a ruler went to great lengths to assimilate the Jewish people into his Seleucid Empire and suppress their faith in God. He used violence and murder to intimidate the Jewish people into worshipping false gods, and he massacred thousands who refused. He also took over the Temple, defiled it with idols and sacrificed pigs on the altar.

A Hebrew man named Mattathias and his son, Judah Maccabee, led a revolt against the oppression. The small band of fighters known as the Maccabees was far outnumbered, but by God’s hand, they fought the Seleucid armies and regained control of the Temple. It was a miraculous victory.

Seeing God’s Temple so offended, the Jewish people wanted to cleanse and rededicate it as soon as possible. However, all but one vial of oil for the Temple lampstand remained undefiled, and it was only enough to last one day. The lampstand was to burn continuously, and it would take eight days to make and purify more oil. In faith, the priests lit the lamp and consecrated the Temple back to God.

Another miracle happened. That small amount of oil burned the entire eight days until more was prepared. God provided for His people.

Chanukah is an eight-day celebration commemorating the miracle of the oil. It is also called the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication. Jewish people celebrate by lighting eight Chanukah candles representing the eight days of light that one day’s worth oil shone in the Temple. Each successive night, they use what’s called the Servant Candle to light one more candle until all are burning on the eighth night.

Today, as the Chanukah nights progress, people exchange gifts of increasing value. Traditional Chanukah foods include fried, fatty treats that represent the miraculous oil of long ago. Chocolate coins are plentiful, and people enjoy playing dreidel games.

For Messianic Jewish Believers, Chanukah’s miracles of victory and light reveal a picture of Yeshua (Jesus), the Light of the World, who gives us victory over sin and death. As the Chanukah lampstand grows brighter each successive night of the holiday, and gifts grow in value, so does our appreciation of the miracle God gave us in Yeshua. Jesus takes away our sin, making the way for us to come into fellowship with our Holy God. Jesus conquered death when He rose from the grave, and His victory became ours as He grants eternal life to all who believe in Him.

God is in the business of doing miracles. We see it in Chanukah, throughout Israel’s history and in the pages of our Bibles. We also see the God of miracles working His wonders during Jewish Voice Medical Outreaches. When medical intervention isn’t possible, God often performs miracles of healing through the Outreach’s Spiritual Care Ministry. These testimonies reach deeper into the communities you help us serve, and they continue to glorify Him long after an Outreach is complete.

And each time someone responds to the Gospel and places their faith in Jesus, it is a miracle.

Through your gifts to Jewish Voice, you can make those kinds of miracles happen.

CORRUPTION INDICTMENT BEGINS AS POLITICAL DISUNITY CONTINUES IN ISRAEL

As I recently shared with you, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz announced late last week that he was unable to form a coalition government.

Gantz’s announcement informing President Reuven Rivlin that he had failed came four hours prior to his midnight deadline.

This announcement, preceded by months of failed negotiations and political deadlock, has cast Israel into uncharted, unprecedented territory.

For the first time in history, President Rivlin has issued the unity mandate to the 120-member Knesset. This means any member can attempt to obtain the support of the majority to form a government.

There’s still a chance a third round of elections can be avoided – prolonging the uncertainty for months. But most believe that chance is unlikely.

The next 3 weeks will be critical.