ChanuChristmas

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

As my wife and I grew up in traditional Jewish homes, we did not celebrate Christmas. And even as Messianics, we never related much to the holiday culture and celebration. 

When we came to Israel, we started going down to Bethlehem on Christmas morning, until Hamas gained more influence in the year 2000, and we didn't feel safe going there anymore. 

Many Israelis find the Christmas celebrations rather interesting, and out of a curiosity to experience the culture, they often come to public celebrations in the Christian community. 

The proximity or overlap of the timing of Chanukkah and Christmas (nicknamed "Chanu-Christmas") have come to form a bridge of mutual respect between the Jewish and Christian communities, both having a common them of "light shining in the darkness."

Ironically, some of the antisemitic propaganda asserting that Yeshua was not Jewish but Palestinian has caused a reaction among Israelis to say, "No, Yeshua is Jewish! You can't steal his identity from us."  Christmas has become an opportunity to high-light Yeshua's identity as a Jew, a native-born Israeli. [He was not only born Jewish, he was circumcised on the 8^th day according to the Torah – Luke 2:21.]

The name of Christmas in Hebrew is חג המולד Chag HaMolad, Feast of the One Born. What is the spiritual significance of Christmas from a Jewish perspective? Here are a few thoughts: 

1. Genealogy – The New Covenant Scriptures start with the genealogy of Yeshua (Matthew 1:1, 12). This is documentation that Yeshua was born from the line of King David. The prophecies say that the Messiah is to be the son of David (II Samuel 7). Since genealogical records were basically destroyed at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple, this documentation is important evidence and validation
   

2. Original Sin – Genesis records the first sin of Adam and Eve. Since that time the human race has lived in an "unglorified" state, all condemned to a punishment of death. At that time, God also promised that a person would someday be born (the seed of the woman - Genesis 3:15) who would solve the problem of sin and death. He would "crush the head" of the serpent Satan. The birth of the Messiah is the coming of that promised seed Savior.
   

3. Victory of Jewish Destiny – The ancient history of the Jewish people as recorded in the Tanakh is a chronicle of the struggle to bring that seed Savior into the world. All the wars and attacks against the Jews were to stop the birth of the Messiah. When Yeshua was born of Miriam (Mary), a virgin girl of the house of David, all that history was vindicated. That victory continues as Yeshua's kingdom is advanced on earth.
   

4. Why Antisemitism? – Hatred against the Jewish people starts with hatred and jealousy toward Yeshua. Jesus is Jewish. He is the savior of the world and the King of Kings. Ancient antisemitism was to stop Him from being born. Modern antisemitism is to stop Him from returning to rule on the earth. Hatred of Jesus spills over to hatred of the Jews, just as hatred of Mordecai by Haman spilled over to all the Jews as well (Esther 3:6).  
   

5. New Human Race – We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. We are a fallen and mortal race. However, God's design is for us to live on a higher spiritual level as children of God, children of the light. For that to happen, we all need to be "born again" into a new human race. Yeshua is the New Adam. We are spiritually born of Him by faith, as we were physically born of Adam. Yeshua's birth, death, and resurrection provide the opportunity to join that new human race for those who receive it.
   

6. What was the Miracle? – All our matriarchs – Sarah, Rivka, and Rachel – were barren. Their giving birth was a miraculous answer to prayer. Those were precedents to the greater miracle of Messiah's birth. The birth itself was totally natural. The supernatural part was in Miriam's becoming pregnant. If we believe that God made Adam out of dirt of the earth, and Eve from Adam's side, there is no reason not to believe that God can cause a virgin girl to become pregnant. 
   

7. Where? – Yeshua was born just outside of Bethlehem, in Ephrata. That is the same place where Rachel died in childbirth (Genesis 25:16-19). The choice of this place for Yeshua's birth was destined to give honor to our beloved mother Rachel. 
   

8. When? - It is likely that Yeshua was born during Sukkot. If so, that would make the timing of the conception at the end of December.  That was when the miracle took place. The last week in December is the darkest week of the year.  Since Hanukkah starts on the 25^th of Kislev, the lighting of the menorah takes place on the days surrounding the new moon, which would make those the darkest nights, even without moonlight. 

In both Hanukkah and Christmas, this is the time for the Light to come into the darkness. How appropriate! Christmas is the 25^th of December. Hanukkah is the 25^th of Kislev. The 25^th word of Genesis chapter 1 is "Light."