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A sermon/reflection for Third Sunday of Advent – Year B

The readings for this Sunday are those of Advent 3:

  • Isaiah 61. 1-4, 8-11

  • Psalm 85.1-2, 8-13

  • Thessalonians 5.16-24

  • John 1. 6-8, 19-28

You might like to use the link below to find the above readings, and click on any of the reading above that you wish to use: http://www.katapi.org.uk/CommonWorship/CWLectionarySelV.php

Collect of the day

Let us first spend a few moments in silence to centre ourselves,
to gather ourselves in our souls, to come before the Lord just as we are with our joys and sorrows, our hopes and our fears, our loves and our pains.
Let us just focus our minds and hearts on Jesus
who is the answer for every problem.
Let us pray that the Spirit will work through our lives
to bring Christ to the world.

Silence is kept

O Lord Jesus Christ,
who at your first coming sent your messenger
to prepare your way before you:
grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready your way
by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;
and Father God, as you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son:
give us courage to speak the truth,
to hunger for justice,
and to suffer for the cause of right,
with Jesus Christ our Lord and our God.
Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever.

Amen.

Prayer before the Sermon

Loving Heavenly Father,
we thank you for the words you have given us today.
We know they are words of life and salvation.
Open our hearts Father,
touch our souls,
help us to respond to your word
and know that you are indeed our Lord and Saviour.
May we experience in our hearts
your love and your presence always.

Amen.

A homily based on the readings of today (John 1.6-8, 19-28) is given below:

“He came to testify to the light” (John 1. 8)

Introduction:

We have been since early this year in the clutch of the terrible covid 19 pandemic and we are almost feeling like strangers in a strange land….”cut off” as it were from our normal and safe lives….

As if that is not enough, we are also in a period of huge changes like the Brexit….and we have, as it were, decided to be “cut off” from the EU after over 40 years of membership…and that brings its own challenges to our lives …

But, frankly, the worst covid 19 pandemic is something else. It is the crass materialism fed by greed and selfishness, a culture that is wreaking havoc in the world. It is the consumeristic and secularistic culture that makes us being “cut off” from God Himself our Creator and our Saviour.

That is why the testimony of John the Baptist that we heard about in the Gospel reading of today is so important. I am focussing our reflection and prayer entirely on one verse, namely verse 8 of the gospel of John chapter 1: “He came to testify to the light.”

 

“He came to testify to the light”

(John 1. 8)

Two prophets are referred to in our Bible readings for today. 

  • Isaiah – He prophesied the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. All the Advent readings speak about the coming of the Lord. Prophet Isaiah prophesies verses that Jesus later applied to himself, as the one who brought liberty, justice and gladness to the world.|

  • John the Baptist – is the last of the prophets. He was a man sent from God. Before Jesus there came John the Baptist, witnessing to the light of the world. He points to someone who will bring light out of the darkness of hopelessness and godlessness, someone who will comfort all who mourn, someone who will bring good news to the oppressed, someone who will bind up the broken-hearted, someone who will proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, someone who will proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (cf. Is 61. 1-2)
“He came to testify to the light”

(John 1. 8)

Light is a dominant theme in Advent.

And during this time the nights are so long, and day is so short, we value light more than other times of the year. Light is so valuable! There is a sharp contrast of light and darkness during this season.

But we also are aware of another contrast of light and darkness. It is the darkness that is real and that is diminishing the light in our world. It is the darkness of evil that sort of percolates in to every area of individual and social lives – there e is quiet rebellion within us when we see this darkness of injustice and greed, selfishness and barbarity. Our quiet indignation and suffering seem to be endless as we feel our hands are tied and our helplessness only increase our sadness as we realise how little we can do to ameliorate or change things much.

It is into this world of darkness and evil that Jesus brings the “light”.  And John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the Saviour, the light of the world. 

“He came to testify to the light”

(John 1. 8)

The light that Jesus brings is the light of the “good news” of salvation.

That is what we proclaim when we light these Advent candles that Jesus is the “light” of the “good news” of hope and salvation.

That is the same message that we proclaim at the Christingle services in Advent although this year, due to the pandemic, this celebration of Christingle has been limited to on line services as we have done at our Scampton church. In that service we proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world.

We all are oppressed, broken-heated, we are captives and prisoners, we all need the “good news” and “comfort” of a Saviour. 

“He came to testify to the light”

(John 1. 8)

Let us accept this testimony of John the Baptist and prophet Isaiah.

Let us turn to God. Let us turn to Jesus. Let us go to Jesus, “the light”, “the good news”, the hope for our lives.

Christmas is all about Jesus.

It is not only for

  • a nice Christmas lunch
  • sharing gifts and cards
  • a lovely holiday (although covid 19 makes this impossible!)
  • beautiful decorations
  • a big feast

These are all fine and are part of our Christmas festivities but the real meaning of Christmas is Jesus who came into the world to bring us hope and light. How much we need this hope and light especially at this terrible time of the pandemic! But we are assured by John’s testimony that we can turn to Jesus who was born in Bethlehem as one of us but also as our Saviour, the light the world!

Advent season is a wonderful time of preparation for the real Christmas – that is, accepting the light that Jesus brought into our lives and the world. It is also about learning to follow Jesus as our real saviour and the real hope of our lives!

[Revd Dr ST Mattapally, Rector, Springline Parish, Diocese of Lincoln]

Pause to pray …

A Prayer you can say now:

Lord Jesus,
I believe you are the Son of God.
Thank you for becoming one of us.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Thank you for rising from the dead
to give me hope and the gift of eternal life.

I repent of my sins
and invite you into heart and life
as my Lord and Saviour.
Please grant me your Holy Spirit
so that I may know you, love you
and follow you every day of my life.

Amen.