And tonight, to begin with, I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter number 42. Yes. Your birthday. Well, let's sing happy birthday to you. How about that? Okay. Let's sing happy birthday to Booker. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday God bless you, happy birthday to you. Booker's been He'd been under quarantine for a little while. Some of the folks in the place where he was at had come down with something that he didn't get, praise the Lord. And it's good to see him back with us tonight. All right, start in Isaiah, chapter number 42 tonight. We began last week to look at the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah that started at sunset on Sunday of last week and ended on Monday of this week. Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration. I don't know if you know the significance of what the number eight is all about, but it's really new beginnings. That's what Jesus gives us when we get lit up. by salvation, we get a new beginning. I just thought about that tonight. It's not even in my notes, but I got to thinking about the number eight. Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration beginning each year on the 25th of the Jewish month, Kislev, which usually falls in December. It began in November this time, but although it's overshadowed by Christmas, we said that Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication and the Festival of Lights. and which we said graphically illustrates the Messiah's life and ministry. And we looked at the historical background of Hanukkah last week and saw how that it is a festive holiday among the Jews because it commemorates the bravery and the resolution shown by Israel in the revolt against the heathen oppressors. specifically the Maccabean revolt against Assyrian Greeks in 167 to 164 BC. And it's commonly known as the Festival of Lights, but the word Hanukkah just simply means dedication. That's what it means, dedication. And that's because the Jews liberated the temple, and when they did that, they rededicated it back to the service of God. And we saw this holiday in the scriptures and saw how Jesus was actually in Jerusalem, in the temple, no doubt for the celebration of Hanukkah, as recorded in John 10, verse 22 through 24. I'm not going to turn in and read that again tonight, John 10, verse 22 through 24. But it's called there the Feast of Dedication. That's the same thing as Hanukkah. And we also looked last week at the menorah of Hanukkah. It's different than the menorah in the temple. Remember we said the one in the temple is seven, is a seven candelabra. The one of Hanukkah is nine because you got the servant candle and the eight representing the eight dates. And so it's a little bit different. And we saw how that special candelabra was associated with the celebration of Hanukkah. And if you missed last week's message, let me encourage you to go listen to that or print out my notes and read them. I don't want to spend a long time in reviewing last week because we have a couple more things regarding Hanukkah that we need to see, need to look at tonight. Now let's begin with Isaiah 42 verse number 1 here, and I want us to talk about the undying flame of Hanukkah. And we pause for a moment at the menorah and contemplate its meeting. When we look at it, we see a beautiful portrait of Our Messiah, of Jesus Christ. Each candle is specifically lit by the shamash. They take that center candle, remember the picture that I showed? They take that center candle, which is the shamash, the servant candle, and the other candles are lit by the servant candle. And scripture teaches us that Jesus, the Messiah, was going to be God's shamash, the servant of the Lord. Look at Isaiah 42, verse number one, this speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says, Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, and whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law. Now, in Matthew chapter number 20, Let me share with you a verse, verse number 28. It talks as even the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. He's that shamash, the servant candle. He came to serve. We know that to be the case. Paul talked about the service of Jesus Christ and his servanthood in Philippians two, verse five through eight. If you got time to flip over there, look at Philippians chapter number two. Now I'm not gonna have you turn to all of these passages tonight out of concern for time. We don't wanna keep you too late, but you can write them down and check me out on these things, but Philippians chapter number two, we will turn to. And look at verse number five through eight here. Philippians chapter number two, verse number five. says, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and here it is right here, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. If it had not been for our Lord Jesus Christ having a servant spirit and coming to be the servant to give his life a ransom for us, oh, the trouble we would be in. We would be deserving of hell, and that's what we would get. Jesus, the Messiah, though, was and is the light of men. Look at John's Gospel chapter number one. John's Gospel chapter number one. several verses right here in this first chapter of John, John chapter number one, and look at verse number four and five, it's talking about Jesus, the Word, remember the first three verses, it's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and we know that speaking of Jesus because of verse Number 14 and the word was made flesh Jesus was made flesh and dwelt among us But let's look at what it says about him more than that. He was God It says there in verse 4 in him was life and the life was the light of men Life was the light of men and the light shinieth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not anyway as Jesus walked and on this earth and as he served. A lot of folks did not recognize who he was. Even though he showed many miracles and showed himself to be the son of God, they didn't get it. Look at verse number 9 there, verse number 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true light. John 8 verse 12 says, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. He lights our lives up so that we can glorify him. The light of salvation which Jesus the Messiah is and he is the light of salvation and he also preached that he was the light. He was sent both to Jews and Gentiles and he desires all Jews and Gentiles to partake of the salvation he provided when he became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. John chapter number 1, look at verse 29 there. You're in John 1, look at verse 29. It says there that the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He is that Lamb that came to give us life and to light our lives up. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2 says this, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. It's speaking of the light of Jesus Christ. He was shining to the Gentiles. Isaiah 49 verse 6, he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Jesus was sent to ever, whosoever will, amen? Whosoever will may come. And look at Matthew's Gospel, chapter number 12. Matthew's Gospel, chapter number 12. And this shows that the first verses that we read over there a while ago in Isaiah 42 verses 1 through 3, that Jesus fulfilled that. And verse number 17, he says that it might be fulfilled We're in Matthew 12 verse 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet saying behold my servant Whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles he shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets and A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust." And so, the Gentiles, which we are, Praise God that the gospel was to us too. Amen. Aren't you glad it wasn't just to the Jews? Because I'm not a Jew. I may have some tonight, but I'm not one of them. I know that we are Gentiles, and what a Gentile is, is one that's not a Jew. And we fall in that category and praise the Lord Jesus died for us too. Jesus is the shamash or servant. Remember we said that word shamash is a word servant. And he's the light of the world. He is the true light that came into the world and illuminates us all. And he is the eternal and an undying flame which spreads its light one candle at a time. And it is the light of the world, the shamash, the servant, The one who, and the temple boldly declared his divine identity. Remember us taking a look at that last week, how when he went to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, it was at that point where he revealed himself, his identity, that he and his father were one. He is the true Epiphanes. Remember we said Antioch Epiphanes, he was a wannabe, he was a cheap counterfeit, wanted to be the manifest God, that's what Epiphanes means. It's the Manifest God. Jesus is the Epiphanes, amen? He is the Manifest God. And Antiochus Epiphanes was just a cheap counterfeit whose flame sputtered briefly and then died out. Now, the rededication of the temple was a turning point in Jewish history. But that magnificent temple no longer stands. We know that. And the New Testament teaches that each of us, each individual illuminated, each one of us that have been illuminated by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ is now the temple of God. Amen. We are the We that have been illuminated by Him, we are the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 19 or 20 says, What? Know ye not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. And again, in 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 16 through 18, what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. So how can we dedicate or rededicate this personal temple of God? We're the temple, okay? How do we dedicate this personal temple of God? Well, the answer is found in the two prominent symbols that are found in the Hanukkah, and that is light and oil. Light and oil. In Matthew 5, verse 14 to 16, Jesus was preaching the Sermon on the Mount, and he said, ye are the light of the world. He's talking to his disciples. You're the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. And so Jesus, the light of the world, he ascended back to heaven. But we are to be as He is. We are to be lights in the world. Do we let our light so shine before men that they may glorify our Father in heaven? Or do we choose to hide our light under a bushel? Now, a bushel of what? Well, it can be a bushel of anything. It might be a bushel of the cares of this world. It might be a bushel of sin. I mean, whatever hides your light from shining that you are You have been lit by the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, that ought to be shining to others. They ought to be able to tell that you have been lit, that the light of the world is dwelling within you. And they should be able to see that. So get out from under the bushel. How is our oil burning? Do you feel like perhaps you're a quart low maybe? Maybe you feel like all you got is like they had back then, they only had a one-day supply. Remember how God stretched that one-day supply? They lit that one day. It burned that day. And the miracle of Hanukkah was that it burned for eight days. Eight days. And if you will burn today, the Lord himself will supply the oil needed for tomorrow. I don't know if you remember when we were growing up, we sang a song as children, Give me oil in my lamp. Remember that one? Give me oil in my lamp. Keep me burning, burning, burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning, burning till the break of day. Remember that? Yeah, I can remember a few things. But it's reassuring to remember that the Bible teaches that more oil is always available when the undying flame has been ignited in our souls. Now the last thing I want to touch on tonight is how Hanukkah can help us with Jewish evangelism, okay? One of the themes of Hanukkah is the fight against that which took place against the Greeks. The Greeks wanted them to assimilate into Greekhood. Antiochus Epiphanes wanted the Jews to cast aside their religion, cast aside their god, and assimilate into Greek Hellenism. And the Maccabees refused to assimilate into the pagan Greek Hellenistic culture around them, which was a good thing. They didn't want to assimilate and they didn't. That's what the fight was all about. Today, Jews, especially religious Jews, they strongly oppose assimilation into the Gentile world. This can be seen even in the very observance of Hanukkah. I mean, they observe Hanukkah, we observe Christmas. And in Israel, while this may be a minor holiday, thought of as being a children's holiday, in the United States, in America, Hanukkah is more prominent celebration among Jewish people in America because Christmas is celebrated around the same time. And by elevating the importance of Hanukkah, it helps prevent Jewish children from assimilating. They don't feel as left out. They've got something they're celebrating at the same time or near the same time that the Gentiles are celebrating. And so to many Jews, the thought of believing on Jesus is a step toward assimilation with Gentiles. And if we understand this Jewish mentality, it may help us in our evangelism when it comes to evangelizing Jews. So how can we deal with this attitude? The very first step is to inform them that Jesus was a Jew. A lot of them don't realize that Jesus was a Jew who came to the Jews. When Jesus first came, he came to the Jews, was rejected of the Jews. And many Jews first thought about Jesus as that he was the first Christian. Not that he was Jewish. But he was Jewish. And they need to see that believing on Jesus is not about them leaving their fellow Jews and assimilating into the Gentile population. It's about understanding and believing that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah foretold by Jewish prophets in the Jewish scriptures. Remember Jesus himself saying, search the scriptures. They are they which testify of me. You know, they needed to search the scriptures and the things that we see in the Old Testament relating to the birth of Christ, they were reality. They were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. And we said Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the miracle of lights. And the Jewish nation was called to be a light to the Gentiles. They were, according to Isaiah 42.6 and Isaiah 49.6. It's important for the Jews to understand that believing on Jesus will not extinguish their Jewishness. We're not telling them that they got to cast away their Jewishness. Because that's not it. What it is, is that they believe the gospel and get saved, but they're still Jews. Amen? They don't cease being Jews just because they got saved. But Jesus will not extinguish their Jewishness, but rather make their light to shine on and based on their faith in Jesus, their Messiah. John recorded that Jesus was the true light. There we read in John 1.9 a while ago. At the Feast of Dedication in John 10.22, it said that Jesus walked in the temple. and John 10, 23 there during the celebration of light in Hanukkah. And this holiday week of Hanukkah that's over now can be used though to point Jews to Him who truly is the light of the world. And that's one reason why we put the the Hanukkah tracts back there, you know, to help you understand Hanukkah and the Jewish mindset and the purpose for me preaching, you know, teaching this message the last two weeks is so that during Hanukkah each year, we can focus on the menorah and remember that we have been illuminated by the servant, the shamash, and we have an eternal supply of oil to keep the undying flame burning brightly in our hearts throughout the year, because that's what Jesus does, amen? Jesus shines in our hearts and lives, and he shines for all eternity, and what a blessing that is, amen? All right, well, that's our Bible study for this evening, and let's pull back out our prayer list, let's pray for the needs, and we'll be dismissed with this prayer.