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THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 14, 2025 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church Our Opening Hymn is: 402 “The Only Son from Heaven” Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 The Introit – Psalm 71:14-18; antiphon: Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. 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. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 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 – Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Our Bible Readings: Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10 Psalm 146; antiphon verse 5 Epistle: James 5:7-11 Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-15 THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192 HYMN OF THE DAY: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding” THE SERMON – Brothers and sisters, peace, grace, and mercy be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. John the Baptist sits in a prison cell. The man who once stood boldly in the wilderness—calling a nation to repent—now waits in darkness. His voice had thundered along the Jordan River: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” But now his surroundings have changed. Stone walls have replaced the wilderness. The crowds are gone. The chains are real. And in that darkness, John sends a question to Jesus: “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” The words may surprise us. John is the forerunner. He knows who Jesus is. He leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary came near. He saw the heavens open at Christ’s baptism, and heard the Father’s voice. Yet, here he is, asking. Not because he’s abandoned faith, but because he is human. Suffering strikes us hard. Human expectations can collide with reality. Because even the greatest prophets long to hear the Word of God’s promise. So, Jesus, with the gentleness of the Shepherd, sends back an answer that anchors the soul. He doesn’t say, “Yes, John, I am the One,” though that would have been true. Instead, He says: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them.” In other words: ‘John, look at the Scriptures. ‘Look at what Isaiah promised. ‘Look at what God said the Messiah would do. I am fulfilling every word.’ Jesus points John back to God’s Word. He gives him something firmer than emotional reassurance. He gives him the solid ground of Holy Scripture. And that is precisely what the Lord gives us today. Our Old Testament text from Isaiah paints a glorious picture. The desert will bloom. The weak will be strengthened. The fearful will hear, “Be strong; fear not!” The eyes of the blind will be opened. A highway of holiness will carry God’s redeemed home, with everlasting joy. This isn’t mere poetry. It is the Messianic promise. It is what Christ comes to do. And did. Psalm 146 echoes the same hope: “The Lord sets the prisoners free.” “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.” “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.” When Jesus tells John what’s happening, He is saying, “The Scriptures are being fulfilled—not in power as the world expects, but in mercy, healing, grace, and forgiveness.” This is how God’s Kingdom comes. It is how the Messiah reigns. Not with the sword of Herod. Not with political power or earthly thrones. But with the Word that heals and restores. With a cross that looks like defeat, and yet is victory. Jesus then turns to the crowd and asks, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” A reed swayed by the wind? Meaning someone who vacillates, who’s influenced by worldly opinions. A man in soft clothing? No—John was a prophet. And more than a prophet. Jesus says, “among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John.” Yet, Christ adds, “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” What does this mean? John stands at the threshold. He announces Jesus, but will not live to see the cross or the resurrection. He prepares the way, but dies before the fullness of the kingdom breaks open. However, you—who have been baptized into Christ—have seen the fullness of what Christ accomplished. You know the cross, and the resurrection. You know the grace that John could only anticipate. The smallest believer in Christ’s finished work stands in a place of privilege that even John the Baptist did not yet experience. John’s question and Christ’s answer are deeply pastoral for us. We often expect God to work in certain ways. We want the wilderness of sin to become a garden, immediately. We prefer prayers to be answered in the way we imagine. We’d like suffering to be brief, and joy to come quickly. But God’s ways are not our ways. Along with John, we may look at our situation and ask: “Lord, are You really the One?” “Are You truly at work here?” “Why does this hardship happen?” James, in our Epistle reading, tells us to be patient like a farmer waiting for the precious fruit of the earth. He points us to the prophets who suffered faithfully. And he reminds us of Job, whose endurance was not in human strength, but in trust in God. This is the shape of Christian hope. It waits. Listens. It looks to Christ’s promises even when circumstances are dark. Martin Luther once wrote: “Faith clings to the Word, even when God appears in the opposite.” This is Advent faith. It sees Christ hidden in humility. It trusts Christ present in suffering. It believes Christ is at work when our vision glimpses only darkness. We may not see the same miracles as in Jesus’ earthly ministry, but the signs of His kingdom are still among us. When the baptized are carried from death to eternal life, the dead are raised. When faith is worked within hardened hearts, the spiritually blind receive new sight. When the Gospel lifts the despairing, the lame walk. When the Lord sustains the afflicted through Word and Sacrament, the poor have Good News given to them. Christ has not stopped working. He is active in His Church. At work in His Word. And at work in your life—often hidden, but always faithful. Jesus ends His message to John with one small beatitude: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Why would someone be offended by Jesus? Because He does not always fit our expectations. He saves through weakness. His kingdom comes through a cross. His grace levels the proud, but lifts the lowly. Many people stumble over such a Messiah. But truly blessed is the one who clings to Him. Christ’s kingdom is advancing even when we can’t see it. Even from a prison cell, John’s life was woven into the saving plan of God. So is yours. The prophet Isaiah gives us the final image for today: “The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.” This promise was for John. It was for the apostles. And the promise is for you, who will see your Redeemer face to face. Until then, Christ sustains us with His Word, His forgiveness, His body and blood. He is the One who is with us today, and will come again. 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 (Left-hand column) Page 201 OUR CLOSING HYMN: 659 “Lord of Our Life”