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THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 7, 2025 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto Our Opening Hymn is: 347 “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtRETJ5j5N8&list=RDRtRETJ5j5N8&start_radio=1 Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 The Introit – Psalm 105:4-8; antiphon: Isaiah 40:3b “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And with thy Spirit. Our Collect Prayer – Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with purified minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Our Bible Readings: Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72:1-7; antiphon verse 18 Epistle Reading: Romans 15:4-13 Gospel Reading: Matthew 3:1-12 THE NICENE CREED Page 191 HYMN OF THE DAY: 344 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb-P06QxCpY&list=RDFb-P06QxCpY&start_radio=1 THE SERMON – Brothers and sisters, peace, grace, and mercy be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Advent is a season defined by longing. Before we rejoice with the angels of Bethlehem, before we remember the star shining in the East, the Church enters into the ancient anticipation of God’s promised redemption. It’s a season that calls us to lift our eyes above the problems and distractions of this life, and listen for a voice that speaks from beyond our schedules and anxieties. Today, in the Gospel passage, that voice comes from the wilderness. It’s not a polished one from the temple courts. It’s not the voice of pop culture or political correctness. It’s “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” A hard, sharp voice that cuts through centuries of silence with a message both simple and earth-shaking: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John the Baptist stands as the final prophet of the Old Testament and the herald of the New. His clothing is rough. His diet is simple. His message is uncompromising. He’s a preacher who does not soothe, but awakens. He exposes sin so that sinners might be healed. He prepares the way for a kingdom that cannot be bought, inherited, or earned—only received by grace through faith. John’s call to repentance is the necessary work of God’s Law. It is the divine plow that breaks the hardened soil of our hearts so the seed of the Gospel can take root. It is the hammer of God knocking at our door. And yet, repentance isn’t despair, but preparation. It is God’s way of making room for the mercy of Christ. The people of John’s day needed this message. And so do we. John is speaking to His generation, and ours. For while the trappings of modern life differ from ancient Judea, the human heart hasn’t changed. We still cling to self-righteousness. We still justify our sins. We still barter with God as if our lineage, our habits, our ‘good works,’ could secure His favour. John’s preaching destroys those illusions. “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” he says. Don’t rely on the fact that you’re children of Abraham. Don’t rest on yourselves. The Lord desires hearts that are humbled, contrite, and ready to receive the Saviour who stands among us. John preached this message because the Messiah foretold by the prophets was drawing near. Isaiah had spoken of Him centuries before: “A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” Those words were spoken to a nation cut down—politically, spiritually, morally. Like a tree reduced to a stump, Israel seemed finished. But the Lord is never abandoned His promises. From what looked dead, He brought forth life. From the line of David, He delivered a King. From a humble virgin, came the Saviour. This King will not judge by appearances. He won’t be swayed by wealth or status. He rules with righteousness, defends the weak, strikes the wicked, and brings an everlasting peace. John’s ministry says, “He is here. The Messiah has come.” But even as John announces this hope, he forewarns of judgment. “The axe,” he says, “is laid at the root of the trees.” This isn’t a threat, it is truth. Every tree that refuses the life offered by Christ will be cut down. Every stubborn heart that will not repent and believe will face the righteous judgment of God. God is patient, but His patience isn’t indifference. His mercy is abundant, but it isn’t permission to continue in unbelief. The One who comes with salvation also comes with a winnowing fork in His hand. These images are unsettling, but they are holy. They remind us that God’s kingdom isn't a sentimental idea. It is the reign of the crucified and risen Lord who will set all things right. For those who cling to Him in faith, this judgment is pure hope. It is the end of evil, the end of tears, of sin. For those who reject Him, it is loss. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 15, draws our hearts back to the promises that sustain God’s people. “Whatever was written in former days,” he says, “was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is grounded in the unchanging promises of God. Hope is rooted in Christ. Paul prays that the God of hope would fill the Church “with all joy and peace in believing.” Not in achieving. Not in proving. Not in comparing ourselves with others. But in believing—in trusting Christ who fulfills all righteousness for us. Advent is a season that refocuses us on that hope, that draws us out of ourselves and fixes our eyes on the Savior who has come, is with us now through the Church, and will come again. As Advent people, we live between the “already” and the “not yet.” Christ has already come in the flesh, borne our sins, died our death, and risen in victory. He’s already poured out the Holy Spirit and brought us into His Church through baptism. He already feeds us with His Word and His very body and blood. But the day of His visible return has not yet come. So we live in repentance and hope. And as Martin Luther wrote, contrition is not a one-time event but the daily life of the Christian. It means acknowledging our sin, trusting in Christ’s forgiveness, and walking in the new life He gives. It means bearing fruit—not to earn salvation, but because salvation is already ours in Jesus. It means living as those who know the King is near. This hope shapes how we speak, how we forgive, how we endure suffering, and how we encourage one another. Hope fills the lives of Christians with the reassurance of the Gospel. It helps us lift our eyes beyond the brokenness of this world to the joy that awaits. John’s message prepares us for Jesus. Christ’s cross grants us forgiveness. And the Spirit works faith in our Redeemer within our hearts. So, in this holy season, hear the voice crying in the wilderness. Repent. Believe. Lift up your hearts. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The King is near. And He comes with mercy for sinners, with hope for the weary, and with life that has no end. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen. PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT Page 194 Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) Page 195 The Lord’s Prayer Page 196 Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) Page 198 Post-Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page 201 OUR CLOSING HYMN: 354 “Arise, O Christian People”