Season of Light Season of Miracles

‘Galilee of the Gentiles’ – Place of Light & Miracles!

When you think of Christmas, what comes to mind? One word? Red & white? A Star? A manger? A baby? Hopefully not Santa! If you have been in church and to church a few times or many times or even if this is your first time you have heard the Christmas story. World over the nativity scene is unavoidable.

One question – Where was Jesus born? Bethlehem.

Do you know where Jesus grew up? What do you associate more with the place of your birth or place of your early life? (If they are different? Like for me Kuwait Vs Trivandrum😊)

A few months back, as I was sitting with the Lord, something struck me. Two portions of scripture that has been BIG this year and these past years are, ‘the wedding at Cana’ -John 2 and ‘the breakfast at the beach of the sea of Tiberias/Galilee’ – John 21. Do you know what is the significance of these 2 portions and what is the significant similarity?

The first miracle and the last miracle Jesus performed on earth – is at this place called Galilee!

That got me thinking, Galilee? I have studies about Jerusalem and Bethlehem but Galilee? We know that in Hebrew Moed means appointed time and place. I believe there is a huge significance and appointment over Galilee. As I studied and meditated on this, I believe Bangalore is like a Galilee. Let’s dive deep into this.

John 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 

John 21:1,4-6 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias…. When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?” They replied, “No.” ⁶ He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they threw the net and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.

What else happened in this place?

Geographic & Historical Context

• Northern region of Israel: Galilee was located north of Judea, with fertile valleys and the Sea of Galilee providing fishing and agriculture.

• Tribal heritage: In the Old Testament, it was linked to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali (Joshua 19).

• Mixed population: Over time, Galilee became a blend of Jews and Gentiles, making it a cultural melting pot.

Let’s look at the map of Galilee – look for Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Cana, Galilee

History of Galilee – Worthless!

King Hiram considered Galilee worthless - 1 Kings 9:10-13 - Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

Let’s look at some interesting truths about Galilee.

1)     Jesus grew up in Galilee - Matthew 2:1,13,19-23.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise me from the East came to Jerusalem ² saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews?

¹³ After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.”

¹⁹ After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰ saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ So he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. ²³ He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. 

2)     Jesus begins His Ministry in Galilee – Luke 4:14-19

¹⁴ Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside. ¹⁵ He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all. ¹⁶ Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read;¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” 

3)     The CALL of the Disciples – Mark 1:14-20

¹⁴ Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. ¹⁵ He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!” ¹⁶ As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people!” ¹⁸ They left their nets immediately and followed him. ¹⁹ Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their boat mending nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

The majority of Jesus’ twelve apostles - Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot were from Galilee, especially around the Sea of Galilee (Nazareth, Bethsaida, Capernaum). Judas Iscariot was the exception. His name “Iscariot” refers to Kerioth, a town in Judea, making him the only disciple not from Galilee.

4)     “Can this be the Christ?” No Prophet arises from Galilee – John 7:1-2,37-42.

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews^[a] were seeking to kill him. ² Now the Jews' Feast of Booths/Tabernacles was at hand.

³⁷ On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as^[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. ⁴⁰ When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

⁴⁷ The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ⁵¹ “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” ⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

5)     Majority of the Miracles Jesus performed in Galilee - Galilee was the hub of Jesus’ ministry, and most of His miracles happened there. Examples include:

• Water into wine at Cana (John 2:1–11)

• Healing the official’s son in Capernaum (John 4:46–54)

• Casting out demons in Capernaum (Mark 1:21–27)

• Healing Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29–31)

• Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:30–44)

• Walking on water on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22–33)

• First miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1–11)

• Healing the paralytic lowered through the roof in Capernaum (Mark 2:1–12)

Scholars estimate two-thirds of Jesus’ recorded miracles occurred in Galilee, especially around Capernaum, Bethsaida, Cana, and the Sea of Galilee.

6)     Commissioned at Galilee – Matthew 28:5-10,16-18

⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” ⁸ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

7)     Galilee in Prophecy – Isaiah 9:1-7 (Matthew 4:14-16)

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations/Galilee of the Gentiles.

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.³ You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

⁴ For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.⁵ For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

A Messianic prophecy. Yahveh will make Galilee glorious. Galilee was a place of mixed nationalities and cultures, with many Gentiles. An undesirable location. Almost despised by the Jews. A city of refuge for sinners. A torn-apart place would receive the Prince of Peace, the Healer of nations. But Galilee was Jesus’ chosen place. Strategically announcing this downtrodden, lowly, worthless, mixed cultured place is where His LIGHT WILL DAWN!

A Slight Detour - I also want to take this time to quickly mention today, according to the biblical calendar is the Feast of Dedication or Festival of lights. I will not go into details but briefly mention. The rest will be in your notes for further study.

John 10:22-27 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

When is Hanukkah 2025/5786?

Hanukkah begins TODAY/this evening Sunday, December 14 and ends on the evening of Monday, December 22, 2025. 

What Does Hanukkah Mean?

Hanukkah, which means, “dedication, consecration, or inauguration” in Hebrew, is also known as the “Feast of Dedication” or the “Festival of Lights. The Hanukkah story is the victory of light over darkness. The story of the Maccabees is the story of all people of faith. It is our story.

What Does Hanukkah Celebrate?

The Hanukkah story celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. The Temple was rededicated after the Maccabees defeated the army of Greek Seleucid (Syrian) ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This war between the Maccabees and Antiochus IV was known as the Maccabean war.

 

What is the Story of Hanukkah?

Around 167 BC, the Jewish people were living under a foreign power. A few generations before, the Greeks had come into power under Alexander the Great. He unified the common world under the Greek culture. After the death of Alexander the Great, there was a division of the empire. The Syrians, or Seleucids, was one of the divisions that came under the control of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. 

To keep the Hellenistic culture alive, Antiochus enforced a policy that everyone in his region of control must submit to the Greek way of life and worship the Greek gods and goddesses. 

Antiochus outlawed the practice of Judaism, as this went against the “superior” Greek way of life and values. He issued decrees forbidding the practice of the rituals of the Law of Moses and destroyed copies of the Torah. Decrees were made against the observance of the Sabbath, the Feasts, and circumcision. Antiochus also set up an altar in the Jewish Temple (the one rebuilt by Zerubbabel) to the Greek god, Zeus, with pork offerings. These actions desecrated the Temple, sparking the Maccabean revolt. 

The revolt was led by the local high priest (a Levite), Mattathias and his sons, who became known as the Maccabees. The Maccabees were outnumbered and under-supplied. They had to rely on the Lord to provide the knowledge, wisdom, and creativity to overcome. After three and a half years of war, Antiochus’ army was defeated by Jewish forces.

What is the Miracle of Hanukkah?

As you can imagine, the war left destruction in its path, and a desecrated Temple the Jews had to restore. This is where the miracle of Hanukkah comes in. The Jewish people had to rid the Temple of idolatrous structures that the Syrians had left behind. Then they had to restore the holy furnishings, one being the Temple Menorah, which symbolized the light of God. 

But there was a problem…They needed specially prepared oil to light the Menorah but only had enough oil for it to burn for one day. The priests knew it would take at least eight days for new oil to be produced and prepared. 

Moving forward in faith, they lit the Menorah and got to work on preparing the next batch of oil. A miracle was witnessed as the Menorah burned past the first day and lasted eight days until the new oil was fully prepared! 

The miraculously lit menorah became known as the Hanukkiah. The Hanukkiah is a symbol of the miracle of the oil. Unlike the Temple Menorah, which is a 7-lamp, 6-branched candelabra, the Hanukkiah has eight branches with a shamash candle. 

The battle between the Jews and the Greeks that we recall on Hanukkah was more than a physical battle; it was a battle of ideals and values, a little bit like what we believers/church face right now versus the world. The Greeks proclaimed that all that matters is what we can see, touch, and understand. The Jews believed that what matters most cannot be seen, touched, or understood. The Greeks believed that beauty was holy. The Jews maintained that holiness is beautiful. The Greeks worshiped the physical body; the Jews cherished the soul. The ideals of the Greeks encouraged immorality, idolatry, and selfishness. The Jews stood for goodness, godliness, and kindness. This was a battle between good and evil, darkness and light. While the Greeks tried to extinguish the light of the Torah, a great miracle happened, and the small group of remaining loyal Jews were able to conquer the darkness.

The mystery of Hanukkah is a story of great deliverance, the triumph of God’s light over darkness. Now more than ever, we need to remember His light and the mystery of Hanukkah that reveals His power.

He came into the world as the Light of the world. This is how Matthew 4:16 describes Jesus’ coming, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” 

Conclusion: A Season of Light & Miracles!

Our chaotic culture competes for our attention, making us resist the thought of slowing down. Especially Christmas festivities, the fun, the lights, the sound, can make this season all about fun and food, but we must slow down to remember. We must slow down to realign with the life of Jesus as bearers of His light and workers of His miracles. Bangalore-India listen up! Get ready to be a Galilee – a place filled with shackles and darkness is the perfect place for the Messiah King to show up!

Galilee was the perfect place for this radical revolution to begin!

Galilee was a place of LIGHT, where the great light dawned.

Galilee was a place of MIRACLES. The first, the last and all the in-betweens.

Galilee was the place where the disciples were CALLED AND COMMISSIONED. It was from Galilee not Jerusalem that they were commissioned.

Galilee was the launching pad of the Messiah’s worldwide mission!

He is the Light of the World, and because He dwells within us, we are the light of the world. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16…

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also, we in this world. 

We are the light, love and life of Jesus – so let us be bearers of His light and workers of His miracles this season.