Granted, Hanukkah is not a Bible event and I also grant you that it can't be proven that it was a festival that Jesus or Paul celebrated as children. Still, there's an incredibly important lesson for Christians in the history that now is commemorated in the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.

I have to be honest with you, I don't know what Jesus would have been born into if it weren't for the patriotic revolution of the Macabees. During the days of the Greek occupation of Israel everything that had been uniqely Jewish was on the ropes. The compromise with the ways of the world was almost universally complete when Mattathias and his sons took up arms in an attempt to return Israel to the ways of the fathers.

If it weren't for them I don't know that there would have been one ounce of Biblical Judaism left so that Jesus could be born into the house of Israel as prophesied.

If you'd like better insight into this type of concept please go to our series:

#851 Hanukkah #927 Sukkot #844 Beginning Again

We think you'll find these ideas most challenging and that's why we do what we do in all of the ministry of Between the Lines. it's our intention to stretch you with original thinking every time you get near our door.

I'm Don Pate and I'd be grateful if you'd give us a chance to do that often