As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a year of challenge, recovery, and renewed calling.

In this special episode, we uncover the ancient story behind Hanukkah - and how it points to the greater miracle still to come.

From a dreidel in ancient Greece to divine doors opening in modern Israel, we explore how God’s covenant faithfulness continues to unfold before our eyes.

The Jewish Road is stepping into a new partnership with the government of Israel - helping tell her story to the nations and helping the church understand its part in that story.

Along the way, we share updates on health, hope, and the incredible ways God is still writing the story of His people.

Key Takeaways:

• The dreidel tells more than a children’s story - it proclaims that “a great miracle happened there” and points to the greater one still to come.
• Hanukkah reminds us that God always preserves His people, even when the world plots their end.
• Prophets like Zechariah foresaw a coming deliverance that’s still future and messianic.
• God’s pattern of deliverance is consistent - He always raises a redeemer for Israel.
• A new partnership with Israel’s government opens opportunities to help tell her story faithfully to the church.
• The global church must rediscover its calling to stand with the Jewish people in truth and love.
• God’s faithfulness to Israel guarantees His faithfulness to us; the story is not over.

Chapter Markers: 00:00 – A Year-End Reflection 04:10 – Redeeming the Dreidel 10:15 – “A Great Miracle Will Happen Again” 17:30 – Ron’s Health Update and God’s Mercy 25:00 – A Divine Opportunity with Israel 34:45 – Helping Israel Tell Her Story 42:00 – The Call of “The Few” 48:00 – Closing Blessing: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

God’s promises to Israel are alive and unfolding before our eyes. Join us in standing with the covenant people of God - explore more resources at thejewishroad.com, come to Israel with us, and be one of The Few who help tell this story to the world.

Most people think of Hanukkah as the “Jewish Christmas,” a cultural celebration with candles, dreidels, and chocolate coins. But the real story is far older, far weightier, and far more connected to the story of Jesus than many Christians realize.

Hanukkah is a story about attempted erasure, courageous resistance, and God’s unstoppable commitment to preserve His covenant promises.

In this episode, we walk through the rise of Antiochus, the Seleucid king who sought not only to dominate Israel but to erase its identity - banning circumcision, outlawing Torah, desecrating the Temple, and demanding assimilation.

Yet when the majority gave way to cultural pressure, a few refused to bow. The Maccabees stood when others surrendered, preserving the line through which Messiah would one day come.

And 150 years later, during this very feast, Jesus walked in the Temple and declared Himself the Light of the World. The same God who preserved His people through the few stands faithful today.

Hanukkah isn’t merely history; it is a lens for understanding the spiritual battles of our own moment and the hope of the King who will come again.

• Hanukkah is rooted in real biblical history - not legend - and is foreshadowed in Daniel’s visions.
• Antiochus Epiphanes sought to erase Jewish identity and break the covenant line of David.
• The Maccabees embodied “the few” whom God uses to preserve His promises.
• The real miracle of Hanukkah is God’s covenant faithfulness, not just the oil.
• Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22) and used the feast to reveal His identity.
• The spirit of Antiochus - the antichrist spirit - still rises in every generation.
• Hanukkah points forward to the return of Messiah, the true Light of the World.

00:00 – Childhood stories, Hanukkah misunderstandings 04:00 – What Hanukkah looked like generations ago 07:00 – Setting the biblical-historical stage 11:00 – Daniel’s prophecy and the rise of Antiochus 16:00 – The desecration of the Temple 20:00 – The Maccabees and the courage of the few 25:00 – Guerrilla war and the rededication of the Temple 29:00 – The legend of the oil vs. the real miracle 33:00 – Jesus and Hanukkah in John 10 38:00 – The spirit of antichrist then and now 43:00 – The coming Deliverer and the hope ahead

Explore more resources and upcoming events at thejewishroad.com. Discover where we’ll be sharing the Hanukkah story across the country at thejewishroad.com/light. Join The Few who make this work possible by supporting The Jewish Road and helping us tell the story that holds the whole Bible together.

For many Christians, the divide between the church and the Jewish people feels ancient and immovable. But every divide has a story - and far too often, it’s a story Christians never heard.

In this episode, we sit down with long-time friend and ministry leader Murray Tilles of Light of Messiah Ministries to uncover why Jesus remains such a point of pain for many Jewish families, and why the church’s calling toward Israel is more urgent than ever.

Murray shares his own journey from a deeply religious Jewish upbringing in North Carolina to the moment he prayed “in Jesus’ name” - words he never imagined he would say.

His story isn’t abstract.

It’s threaded with family tension, synagogue life, anti-Semitism, and the surprising power of Scripture to reshape identity. And it’s a window into the very real barriers Jewish people face when confronted with a “Christian” Jesus who feels historically disconnected from their people.

Together, we explore why the New Testament is far more Jewish than most Christians realize, why Paul’s “to the Jew first” mission still matters today, and how today’s rising anti-Semitism is creating unexpected openness among Jewish communities - if the church knows how to build trust.

Murray helps believers move from abstract support to real relational bridge-building, from sentiment to substance, from generic evangelism to meaningful connection rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness.

• Many Jewish people associate Jesus with centuries of suffering done “in His name,” making belief in Him feel like a betrayal of their people.
• Murray’s journey began not with pressure but with Scripture - especially Isaiah 53 - leading him into a relationship with Israel’s own Messiah.
• Paul’s model was never “either Israel or the nations.” His strategy was always “to the Jew first,” expecting the church to carry that mantle.
• Replacement theology remains one of the biggest obstacles preventing Christians from seeing Scripture as one unified story.
• Today’s cultural moment - including post-October 7 Jewish vulnerability - has opened new doors for relationship and witness.
• Simple gestures - apples and honey, Hanukkah blessings, relationship-first approaches - create space for meaningful spiritual conversations.
• The continued existence of the Jewish people is itself a testimony to God’s covenant promises and ongoing plan for Israel and the world.

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 00:19 – Meeting Murray & Ministry Connections 00:58 – Growing Up in a Religious Jewish Home 03:15 – Encountering Scripture for the First Time 04:19 – Discovering Jesus in the New Testament 05:28 – Family Tension, Cost, and Reconciliation 07:43 – Why Jesus Is Hard for Jewish People 09:57 – Anti-Semitism, History, and Misunderstanding 14:37 – The Jewishness of Jesus 17:39 – The Church’s Calling “To the Jew First” 22:51 – How Light of Messiah Reaches Jewish People 26:56 – Openness Since October 7 30:22 – Conspiracy Theories & Rising Confusion 33:06 – God’s Faithfulness to Preserve Israel 36:22 – How to Connect With Murray & Next Steps

Explore more resources, episodes, and guides at thejewishroad.com.

Connect with Murray Tilles and Light of Messiah Ministries at LightofMessiah.org and on Instagram @LightOfMessiahATL.

Learn about the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism at lcje-na.org, including the upcoming Atlanta conference.

Become one of The Few who stand with us and help advance this work at thejewishroad.com.