our Jewish brothers and sisters, they are celebrating it. And I'd like to talk to you about that because Jesus honored this feast. but we need to get some details about what Hanukkah was like. And to save time, I'm going to read some facts about Hanukkah and the Feast of Dedication. Remember though, Jesus was in Jerusalem and he celebrated this feast. The Feast of Dedication was a ceremony of great importance to the Jewish people. It originated at the dedication of the temple after it had been, well, what's the best word? It had been desecrated. The temple had been desecrated by a man by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes. The Jews underwent severe persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes IV, A number of years later, after he had desecrated the temple, actually he had brought the statue of Zeus, the Greek god, and taken it onto the temple mount and put it inside the temple area and that desecrated the temple. A man by the name of Matthias led a revolt against and the Archisapithenes and the Hellenizers, and the word Hellenize means they were trying to make the Jews give up their faith in one God and trust in the gods of the Greeks. Following this victory, when the Maccabeus group family, they cleansed the temple. and a ceremony was held to mark the rededication after they had purified the temple. Records show that they only had oil for one day, and they needed to have it for eight days. And God miraculously provided oil to light the temple holy place for eight days. And that's where we have the celebration of Hanukkah. This feast was an annual feast. It was marked by lighting the lights after Antioch's Epiphanies had caused the temple to be desecrated. The Maccabean family, this is during the intertestament period between Malachi and the New Testament. And God Almighty spoke during that time by giving the miracle of the oil. But like so many religious people, they had had a miracle. And the family of Maccabees, they had begun to just bring holiness back. to the temple in Jerusalem and everything was so wonderful. And then they got into a family fight. We cannot afford to fight. We have an enemy that's greater than our differences. We cannot afford because we can destroy that which is holy and good. Pompey, the emperor of Rome, saw that the Jews were fighting among themselves and he came down and took over and the Romans were in power when Jesus was born. As a matter of fact, God used the emperor of Rome to get Mary and Joseph into the place that the Old Testament had prophesied where the Messiah would be born by them taking a census so they could tax people. So we'll begin now, Jesus now has reached the age of 30. He is in Jerusalem, and we begin again with verse 22. And it was at Jerusalem, the feast of dedication, when they were celebrating the miracle of the lights, which the Jews call Hanukkah. And it was winter. Most of the feast had been in the fall that they had just celebrated the day of atonement and tabernacles. And now they are celebrating the feast of dedication. And Jesus now is there while that's going on. Verse 23, and Jesus, our Savior, walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Now if you were to have been there, you would have gone to the eastern part of the temple area. And next to the court of the Gentiles on the east end was Solomon's porch. This is where most people gathered in order to have a time of worship. They were not allowed into a lot of the different parts of the temple, but this was a place where everyone could be. Then came the Jews. These are the Pharisees, the Sadducees, those who have the power. And they're running the show. and they don't want anybody taking any power away from them. They want to dominate. And that's what religion always does. Salvation sets you free, but religion dominates. And that's what's happened to the Jewish people at this time. And Jesus comes in and he came and the Jews, encircling. Now, these are not common people. These are those who are profiting by being in power. Not only is it psychologically a very exciting thing to dominate a bunch of people. You better put your thumb on them and say, you have to do it this way. Then came the Jews around about him and said to him, How long are you gonna make us doubt? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. Now, Jesus uses wisdom when dealing with power-hungry people. You don't deal with power-hungry people until you have the wisdom to do it. And here is an example. Is not Jesus our example? Then let's see how he handled this particular situation. Jesus said, I told you and you believe not. I have already told you this. Your problem is not the truth. Your problem is not believing the truth. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. The miracles that I have performed, they tell you who I am. And this is true of all of us. It's the fruit of our life that tells what we are inside. What fruit do I bear? Jesus said, by their fruits, you will know them. Is there any better way? That's not judging. That's simply saying, here are the facts. He goes on in verse 26. I just love the Bible. But you believe not because you are not my sheep. He said, you have not chosen to get into my flock. You're in another flock and it's not mine. You're not my sheep. And I said this to you. How do we know we're his sheep? Here it is in verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. What Jesus said and only what Jesus said. My sheep hear my voice and I know them. I recognize those who are mine. And here's my compliment to my sheep. Those who hear my voice, Jesus said, I give, underline that word. We hear a lot about gifts this time of the year. Jesus has a gift to give every human being who will believe on him. I give unto them eternal life. and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. That's a gift from heaven. That's a gift from the great creator of the universe. And he said this, and this really threw him for a loop. I and my father are one. And if you think you understand that, to the total, 100% explain it to me. I know it's true. There are a lot of things that I know. that are absolutely true. But I don't understand them, but I accept them by faith because this book, and by the way, just as a side thought, the National Geographic magazine is not known for being complimentary to fundamental Christianity. But there is a wonderful article in the January issue of the National Geographic about the King James translation of the Bible. We're celebrating the 400 years. And this goes into detail and tells how, and this is good, how that this book that I'm reading out of the King James translation, how that it has affected the English language and how it raised the English language to heights. And we are seeing the English language going down the sewer. But I thank God for National Geographic and not all the things that they wrote do I like and agree with, but the whole article is very good. And I thank God for them showing us how the King James Version came into being and why it came into being. And you know, King James, who authorized the, called in all the scholars to translate it, he was a Scottish king. And if Elizabeth had been able to have a child, he would never have been king of England, but she couldn't. And he became the king by, it had to be by the grace of God. Read history. History is so exciting, so very rich. Back to the Bible now, verse 30. I and my father are one. Well, when the Jews heard that, they took up stones, they're gonna kill him with rocks. You claim to be equal with God? And Jesus said, as they got ready to throw the rocks at him, in the temple court, inside the temple area, Many good works have I shown you from my Father. For which of these miracles that I have performed are you gonna hit me with a rock? You're gonna hit me with a rock? Which one of them are you going to stone me for? And the Jews had an answer, this here, this wimpy, this weak answer. If you're gonna have an answer, have one that has something to back it up. The Jews answered, saying, for a good work is not why we're stoning you, but you have blasphemed. And because you have done that, being a man, you have made yourself God. And I love the way Jesus, and you know, he went to the Old Testament and answered them. He went to the book of Psalms and answered them. Actually, he went to Psalms 82.6, and here's what he said. Is it not written in your scriptures? You said we are gods, Elohims. See Elohim is the name of God that is in the Hebrew is plural. You have singular in Hebrew, you have dual and you have plural. And so we see there the Trinity. Very in the very first verse of the Bible. But a she bar Elohim. In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And he called unto the, if he called them gods, unto whom the word of God has come, and the scripture can't be broken and it can't. The scripture stands and it will not be divided. You say, wait a minute, didn't Paul say rightly divide? Well, that doesn't mean to pulverize it. It means to rightly put it in its proper context. You say of him whom the father has sanctified and sent into the world, into the cosmos, into the order of creation, you blaspheme because I said I am the son of God? If I don't do the works of my father, don't believe me. But if I do, though you believe me not, can't you believe in the works that you're seeing with your own eyes? And that the father is in me and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him, but he escaped out of their hands. Tonight, one thing, just receive that Jesus came to show us what God is really like. And it's simple, receive him as the one who paid the price that you and I, as the Bible says, it says it so clearly, he, Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteous of God. If you believe in Jesus as a little child, you know what he said? You don't have to have that great thunderstorm, thunder and lightning faith. I hope that comes to you someday. But it starts except you become converted and become as a little child. you cannot enter the kingdom of God. And tonight, little children, that's where we start, but that's not where we stop. God bless you as we stand to sing. makes the, down the aisle. He wants that prayer. Page 95. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross Where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain So I'll cherish this old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down I will cling to His old rugged cross And exchange it someday for a crown In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see. For t'was on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify So I'll cherish his old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down I will cling to his old rugged cross And exchange it someday for my crown Well, Phil's mother, as you know, has not been well. She is home. Because, Brother Phil, I'm going to apologize to you. I had to hold down the home front. I didn't get to go see her in the hospital at all. And so I'm going over to see her now because I've got the time to do it, and I better do it when I can. So you keep praying for her. She's getting better. But I have not even been, I hadn't even had prayer with her. because things were going on here and I don't know whether you know about during the holidays, people scatter. Thank God I didn't scatter. I got to stay put and I enjoyed it.