Christmas – James G. Owen, Author

The Messiah birthed in Bethlehem probably during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles to Hanukkah. Whenever he was birthed it would be six months after the child of a Temple priest named John. This child is the one who cries in the wilderness, the forerunner of the Messiah, and he brings all who come to him to salvation through baptism—the act of sanctification, and foretelling a resurrection to come through the Messiah.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Micah 5:2 KJV

Six months later, Miriam whom we know as Mary gave birth to a child in Bethlehem Ephrahthah, which means the House of Bread and Fruitful. This child was foretold to be birthed in this tiny country town in Micah 5. He would be transferred after the Roman census to be raised in Nazareth as a Nazarene, and this child would be raised in the synagogue yeshivah’s, the bible schools of the day. As he begins to mature we find him in the synagogue reading aloud, answering questions, and astonishing those present. Would he become fruitful? Would he be dispensing bread among the people of Israel, the Gentiles, and through the ages to our current world? The answer would be yes because of his ministry of shepherding to the people, teaching them the law, of God, and salvation. We read about him training his disciples the same law and counseling them so that they would be ready for the world when the Holy Ghost would come to dwell within men. He was readying the disciples and disciples from that day to ours the same ministry we would find in the Holy Ghost, and from the ministries we have authority through his name-Yeshua—Jesus.

The meaning of the House of Bread, Bethlehem begins to be tied together in scripture as he declares his identity as Messiah in the book of John by stating in the I AM’s, ” I AM the bread of life.” His fruitfulness is in his works of the thousands of healings, casting out demons, and raising of the dead that defines him as the Messiah that was to be birthed in Bethlehem. This babe went to be this man, and he gave his life on a cruel cross outside of Jerusalem on Golgotha, the hill of the skull, the place that David buried the skull of Goliath of Gath.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 KJV

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:51 KJV

This babe that was birthed in Bethlehem whom was prophesied of through the prophets is the Messiah we celebrate in this season of Lights! May those who know the Messiah be blessed, and for those who do not know him currently I ask you to discover Jesus and come to know him as Messiah and God.

Notes: All Scripture used is taken from the King James Bible Public Domain Biblegateway

It is called the feast of the dedication in the New Testament in the book of John. Chanukah is about the celebration of the victory of the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and its leader Antiochus IV Epiphanes. A seven year revolt because the Jewish people refused to worship the Greek pagan gods. It is also called the Feast of Lights.

And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
John 10:22-23 KJV

The December Chanukah is a time that is honored by nine lights on the Chanukah menorah. Each light being lit for each of the 9 days celebrated. This is the celebration of the Jewish people. However, how can Chanukah relate to the Christians who believe the Light of the World is the Messiah Jesus? Jesus came to the world for all people of all ethnic groups, that is Jew and Gentile to bring salvation to all. He brought light into the world when he was born, as the angels sang of his birth, and the stars declared. The message of his birth written in the stars and the shepherds watching could read this part of the gospel story. Jesus brought light into the world by turning water into wine and began his ministry, and continued to bring light and hope to all the people of Israel, and to the Gentiles as well. He brought the light in teaching of the law, healing the sick, lame, deaf, and the blind. He also delivered people from darkness and brought them into the light by casting demons out of them. He brought light into the families when their loved ones died and he raised them from the dead. He brings us light because he has authority over all, even death.

Light into the world can be viewed as victory over death, and Jesus brought us this victory by being the final sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice in that he never sinned, was a man but was not born of man’s seed. He was born of the Holy Ghost, and his father is the God of Israel. Only God can deliver man because mankind has been defiled by sin. Jesus declared that he is the Light of the World, by beginning the phrase I AM. The two words I AM in Hebrew is yah and that is one of the many names for God—the God of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the God of all of us who believe in his son Jesus.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

Christians and Messianic Jews celebrate Jesus’s birth at this time of year and honor him as the light. The Chanukah menorah has nine lights. The number nine has a biblical significance in gematria. That is, the nine fruits of the Spirit, and the completeness of the Lord. God laid his plan out in the Old Testament by establishing the law so that all of mankind, and the Hebrews would know how to live moral lives in righteousness, govern themselves, and also how to worship the Lord through sacrifices, psalms, dancing, and praise. The burnt offerings of the animals, and the grains were just a covering, especially the blood that was presented before God. To finalize God’s plan of salvation he had to send his son Jesus to be the sacrifice for mankind, and undefiled sacrifice. His character can be seen in the fruits of the spirit in which the nine candles can represent, and these fruits Jesus displays to man in his time on earth, and in our current eras. For Jesus is the December Chanukah.

Notes: All scripture used is from the King James Version Public Domain Biblegateway.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics, Evangelist Ed. F. Vallowe, page 88.

Tag: Christmas

The Messiah Birthed in Bethlehem

The December Chanukah