God is the ultimate gentleman. He will not go where He is not invited. The Holy Spirit knocks at your door but YOU must invite Him in. Invite Him in!
The free gift of salvation is offered to all of mankind but we have to accept this gift that cost God everything in order to offer salvation to us. We need to dedicate or rededicate our lives to the Lord of lords and King of kings.
May the year 2020 be a time for rebuilding and uplifting the Bride of Christ as tarnished as she may seem.
The Feast of Dedication refers to the feast of Hanukkah, celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the temple. Faithlife Bible.
The Feast of Dedication was celebrated for eight days in December; thus there was a period of about two months. In 167 b.c., Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple in Jerusalem, as prophesied in Daniel 11:31. The Maccabeans restored and purified the temple. In commemoration of the restoration, the Feast of Dedication was instituted. Today it is also known as the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah. John notes that the events occurred in winter to explain why the Lord chose a sheltered spot in which to teach.
Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders of His words and works. Jesus was the Messiah and said so. He told the woman at the well that He was the Messiah, as well as the man born blind. His works include all the miracles He performed as signs pointing to His messiahship.
At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus had told the leaders that they were not among His sheep.
Jesus described three characteristics of His sheep: (1) They hear His voice. He knows them. (2) They follow Him. The following of the sheep is a metaphor for faith.. (3) They shall never perish; their eternal life can never be taken away. The Father’s hand is more powerful than that of any enemy.
The Jewish opponents understood that Jesus was claiming to be God.
John 10:22-30
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
John 17:24 | “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Acts 3:11 | Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.
Acts 5:12 | And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
Catholic Bibles contain 46 books in the Old Testament, including seven (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch) which were part of an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. These books were better known among Greek speaking Jews in the Mediterranean world around the time of Jesus. Today these seven books are variously referred to as the “apocryphal” or “deuterocanonical” books and are usually placed between the Old and New Testaments. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, Protestant leaders decided not to include these seven Greek books in the Old Testament (because they weren’t written in Hebrew like the rest of the Old Testament) while Catholic leaders decided to retain them since they were important to our Jewish ancestors.
1 Maccabees 4:52-59 (NRSV)
52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year,[a] 53 they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. 54 At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. 55 All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. 56 So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering. 57 They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and fitted them with doors. 58 There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed.
59 Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.
Commentary:
This text reminds me of life in the Congo during Advent and the days leading up to the New Year. The days were filled with joy and celebration as everyone took part in preparations to welcome the baby Jesus and the New Year. It was a time to clean the church, make repairs, get rid of useless items, and other activities that would last for days at a time. It was not just about cleaning the church building but cleaning the Church that had been disrespected and destroyed throughout the year by hurtful words, unfaithfulness, lack of forgiveness and anything that affected the church as a community. As in Maccabees, it was a time to celebrate the extinguished light that was restored to brightness.
In the Congolese context, there is a strong belief that we must respect the physical Church as a sign of God’s presence among us, but more importantly that we respect the community that binds us together as a people of God rather than as individuals. The church building is not just a place where we gather, but it is the house of God where we focus our attention on the Lord, as broken as we are. Yes, we are all guilty of tearing down the church but we must be committed to rebuilding it with love, forgiveness, and obedience.
Sandra R. Gourdet is a member and Elder at Central Christian Church. She lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 years.
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