On this fourth night of Chanukah, we consider the wonder of God’s supernatural intervention at Chanukah and in our redemption.
Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings
Place four candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, or Servant Candle, 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, 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. They should burn for a least half an hour.
Devotion
None of us deserves the salvation God grants to those who believe in Jesus, and we can’t earn it. We are marred by sins of long ago, let alone today, and we simply don’t measure up. Salvation is a pure gift of mercy and love offered by our holy God through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
“We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way,” Isaiah 53:6 tells us. “So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” That God would attribute our sin to Jesus and, in turn, count Yeshua’s righteousness as ours is a supernatural, divine act of grace. It’s a spiritual miracle – one that grants us eternal salvation.
Through a Chanukah miracle, God saved the Jewish people of the second century from the violence wrought against them by the Seleucid army. Small and weak as they were, they couldn’t have made it on their own against their powerful foe. Through the miracle of salvation, God saves us from an eternity separated from Him. We couldn’t conquer the enemy of sin on our own, so God made the way for us.
From the Lord’s Word
“But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
“…if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
For Reflection and Discussion
- What does it mean that God laid our sin on Jesus?
- What is the miracle of being made new in Messiah?
On this fourth night of Chanukah, we recognize the priceless gift of salvation that Yeshua has given us. We celebrate the Gospel; it is “good news,” indeed.
Prayer
Jesus, how can we thank You enough for dying for us? Father, we are so grateful for the gift of salvation. We praise You for Your holiness and stand in awe of Your grace toward us. May we never grow complacent of heart toward this invaluable gift, and may we grow more eager every day to share it with others.
