Read Isaiah 9:1-2

Son

In 175 BC, the ruthless Seleucid tyrant, Antiochus Epiphanes, invaded Judea to further subjugate the Jewish people under his rule. Judaism was declared illegal, the Temple was ransacked and defiled, and the daily sacrifices were stopped for three and a half years. In 167 BC he ordered a statue to Zeus be erected in the Temple, sparking the Maccabean revolt which three years later defeated the Seleucids and reinstated Jewish worship.

According to Jewish tradition, when it came time to light the lamp in the Temple they could only find one day’s worth of undefiled oil, but God miraculously enabled the oil to light the required number of lamps for eight days, by which time they could again produce more pure oil.

As a result, the Jewish leaders instituted Hanukkah, an annual, eight-day festival consisting of lighting the Hanukiah candles thus commemorating how God preserved His light through this very dark time. (This year, Hanukkah is celebrated 15 – 22 December.)

Isaiah predicted a time when God would shine His light into the darkness of “Galilee of the Gentiles” and the New Testament reveals this prophecy was fulfilled centuries later by Jesus in Galilee, when He called people to enter God’s Kingdom.

In calling Jesus “Son” (Isaiah 9:6), we gain insight into the close relationship between He and His Father, and incredibly, we’re also invited into this relationship!

Jesus emphasized this when He said, “The Father Himself loves you dearly because you love Me and believe that I came from God.” (John 16:27)

As God’s Son, Jesus brings us into close relationship with the Father, giving us the status of sons and daughters of the Most High God.

Remember this today: God is not far off, He has been brought near to you through His Son, Jesus, and you are loved deeply by Him.