Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ0Dtxo2VAc
Program Transcript
Advent—Joy
Joy often surprises us. It can burst forth in the most unexpected places; like a flower blooming in the desert, or laughter breaking into a room full of tears. Joy does not deny our struggles. Joy transforms them. In Advent, we remember that even in the wilderness of life, the promise of Christ brings streams of gladness.
Advent reminds us that
Jesus is our reason for rejoicing—even in the midst of trials.
He is always with us.
He gives us countless reasons to rejoice—forgiveness, inclusion, belonging, participation, relationship, mercy, grace, hope, peace, love, and eternity.
Rejoicing leads to worship. We rejoice because Jesus is our all in all—our Savior, brother, friend, firstfruit, creator, teacher, encourager, and comforter.
He is God, and yet fully human. He knows us, understands us, and walks with us.
He is our eternal hope, and He is the joy within us.
As we light the third candle of Advent, the candle of Joy, let us reflect together:
Where have you experienced the surprising joy of Christ this year?
How can you slow down this season to notice and celebrate those moments more fully?
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35:1-10
In this third week of Advent, let us rejoice in Christ, our eternal joy.
May His joy take root in us, overflow through us, and point the world to the glory of God.
Program Transcript
Advent—Joy
Joy often surprises us. It can burst forth in the most unexpected places; like a flower blooming in the desert, or laughter breaking into a room full of tears. Joy does not deny our struggles. Joy transforms them. In Advent, we remember that even in the wilderness of life, the promise of Christ brings streams of gladness.
Advent reminds us that
Jesus is our reason for rejoicing—even in the midst of trials.
He is always with us.
He gives us countless reasons to rejoice—forgiveness, inclusion, belonging, participation, relationship, mercy, grace, hope, peace, love, and eternity.
Rejoicing leads to worship. We rejoice because Jesus is our all in all—our Savior, brother, friend, firstfruit, creator, teacher, encourager, and comforter.
He is God, and yet fully human. He knows us, understands us, and walks with us.
He is our eternal hope, and He is the joy within us.
As we light the third candle of Advent, the candle of Joy, let us reflect together:
Where have you experienced the surprising joy of Christ this year?
How can you slow down this season to notice and celebrate those moments more fully?
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35:1-10
In this third week of Advent, let us rejoice in Christ, our eternal joy.
May His joy take root in us, overflow through us, and point the world to the glory of God.
Psalm 146:5–10 • Isaiah 35:1–10 • James 5:7–10 • Matthew 11:2–11
As we continue through this season of waiting for the coming of the Lord, we come today to Advent 3. Advent focuses on three “comings” — Jesus’ arrival in history as the babe born of the virgin Mary, his glorious return at the end of the age, and his intermediate entrance into and presence in our personal lives. Advent includes looking back and looking forward, looking in wonder at the promises of God from beginning to end. The whole of the Old Testament is the text for Advent. Today we celebrate Advent 3 with the theme of joy. Jesus is our reason for rejoicing — even amid trials because we know he is always with us. He gives us so many reasons to rejoice — forgiveness, inclusion, belonging, participation, relationship, mercy, grace, hope, peace, love, eternity. Rejoicing leads to worship as we acknowledge he is our all in all. Jesus is the Center of all centers. He is our Savior, brother, friend, firstfruit, Creator, teacher, encourager, comforter. Jesus is God and fully understands us because he was and is human — though he is now a glorified human. He is our eternal hope and he is our reason for the joy in us.
We recommend you begin your worship service with a focus on Advent, which might include focusing on the theme of joy, reading Scripture, lighting the third Advent candle, and offering a prayer of gratitude for the joy we have in Jesus.
This week’s sermon theme is Jesus is our jubilee. In our call to worship psalm, David rejoices that our Helper is the One who created heaven and the earth. He is the one who heals the blind, lifts the helpless, and watches over those society often looks on as “less than.” The prophet Isaiah gives a description of the kingdom of heaven — where “everlasting joy” occurs. James tells believers to be patient because Jesus is coming, “the coming of the Lord is near.” Matthew tells of John the Baptist wondering if Jesus was the One who is to come. And Jesus gives him several reasons to rejoice.
Jesus is Our Jubilee
Matthew 11:2–11 NRSVUE
Today is Advent 3, and the Advent candle we lit is the candle of joy. It’s not hard to be filled with joy when everything is going our way. When the bills are paid, there is food in the pantry, the kids are healthy, the job is secure, the house is in good order, and friends are around, it’s easy to rejoice and be glad. It’s more difficult when times are tough.
John the Baptist was going through a tough time. His ministry had effectively ceased; his mission seemed at an end. He was imprisoned in the palace of Machaerus, a fortress on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. This fortress was also used as a citadel by Herod Antipas. John was imprisoned there because he had criticized Herod Antipas’s marriage to Herodias, the wife of his brother.
Prison for John was not like the prisons of today. His prison conditions, as described in the New Testament and by historian Flavius Josephus, were likely harsh, involving confinement and isolation. While the specifics are not detailed in the Gospels, the imprisonment was clearly a form of restraint, likely in a cell with limited light and comfort.
He went from the wilderness with lots of followers to a dark dungeon, with only a guard. He evidently had disciples who were allowed to visit him, but you can imagine the toll that darkness and loneliness can take on a person. And you can imagine his desire for answers about whether or not his mission was complete.
Let’s read the text, and see how it fits in with the Advent theme of joy. (Read, or have someone read, Matthew 11:2–11 NRSVUE.)
John the Baptist was clear about the role God had given him as the messenger; he had been proclaiming the coming Messiah to all who would hear his words. He had been leading people to repentance — to changing the way they thought about God and about the kingdom of heaven. He preached with complete abandon, sharing his “repent and be ready” message to all within earshot. He faced much social and religious alienation, but he did not let that deter him from his message or his mission.
At one point, while he was baptizing people, Jesus came to be baptized. John referred to him as the Lamb of God and shared what he experienced during Jesus’ baptism. We read from Matthew’s account:
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16–17 NRSVUE
Soon afterwards, Jesus started performing miracles as he moved from town to town. He gathered followers through his preaching and healing and astonished the crowds. All the while, John continued to fulfill his mission, telling people to repent and pointing them to Jesus.
We know in John 3 that he made it clear what his role was.
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him. … He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:28, 30 NRSVUE
Many of John’s own disciples left him to follow Jesus. As the crowds around him got smaller, he remained zealous in his faith and unmovable in his convictions. Then he was imprisoned.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Matthew 11:2–3 NRSVUE
This is a good question with a lot in it. “Are you the Messiah? Is my mission finished? Is my ministry fulfilled? Do we need to keep looking and waiting?” Perhaps there were other underlying questions: “If you are the one who performs miracles, why are the Romans still in charge? Why haven’t all the prisoners been freed?”
Many of us might ask the same questions. Notice Jesus’ response.
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4–6 NRSVUE
Jesus didn’t seem put out about this question. He understands our doubts and fears. He understands what darkness and isolation do to us. He encourages us to ask. He wants us to bring our doubts to him, to share our fears, to ask questions. Notice that he responds to John’s question in the same way he would respond to ours.
- Remember what you know about me. Remember the answered prayers, the miracles, the inspiration, the many times I’ve been there for you, the times I’ve lifted you up. Remember all you’ve learned about who I am, who I am in you, who I am in others.
- Trust me. Don’t take offense that I haven’t answered your prayer in the way you want. Trust my will because in me there is life, truth, resurrection, hope, peace, joy, and love.
Jesus’ answer to John likely filled him with peace and joy. He had done what he was asked to do. He had prepared the way for the Messiah. He had decreased so that Jesus could increase. Did that make prison less miserable? Probably not, but it likely made it more tolerable. His questions (his prayers) had been answered. And he heard the words that he was blessed for not taking offense.
Then Jesus continues:
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:7–11 NRSVUE
As great as John the Baptist was, citizens of God’s kingdom are even greater. We are citizens of his kingdom! These are words of affirmation, words of confirmation, words of hope, words of peace, and words of joy.
Advent 3 reminds us of who Jesus is and what he was doing. He was and is the Messiah.
- He is the one who gives the blind their sight — physically, spiritually, mentally.
- He is the one who heals, again, both literally and spiritually. Jesus heals people with disabilities and those sick with skin diseases, and much more, but he also heals us mentally and spiritually. I believe many of us look forward to that day when we stand before Jesus completely healed. Can we even imagine what that might be like?
- He is the one who gives hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind — again, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
- He is the one who raises the dead, who destroyed death, and who promised that all who have died will be raised.
- He is the one who brings good news — you are forgiven; you are included; you are adopted; you are chosen; you are loved.
Advent reminds us Jesus came to usher in his kingdom, is living in us and giving us a taste of that kingdom and will return to bring his kingdom in fulness.
This week, spend time rejoicing. Ask God to remind you of the many reasons to count it all joy. Follow the words of the apostle Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4 NRSVUE
Paul Young—Year C Advent 3
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR070-Young-YearC-Advent3.mp3
Sunday, December 14, 2025 — Third Sunday of Advent
Matthew 11:2-11 NRSVUE
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Program Transcript
Paul Young—Year C Advent 3
Anthony: Let’s transition to the next pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 11:2–11. It’s a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the third Sunday of Advent, which is December 14. Paul, we’d be grateful if you read it for us, please.
Paul: Sure. I would love to.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Anthony: So, Paul, what does this text reveal about Jesus? This is where we always, this is what we come looking for in Scripture. What does it tell us about Jesus and, therefore, the Trinity?
Paul: One is Jesus loves; Jesus, he loves. Jesus loves John the Baptist.
Anthony: Yes, he does.
Paul: His cousin, he loves him. And he loves the people who are there listening to him. And he is helping their eyes to become open. And also, John is sending him a message from his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one?” You know, “Here I am.” He’s in prison. “Are you the one?” And Jesus says, “Tell him what and tell him what you hear.” And he doesn’t give him a theological conversation. He says, “Watch. Look at the fruit of my life.” And he begins to tell all the ways and the things that are happening around him and his activity in them.
So, Jesus is not a theologian. He is an expressor of his love relationship with the Father and the Spirit. He does not try to convince you. In fact, he hides things in parables a lot.
Anthony: Yes, he does.
Paul: And so, he’s not trying to convince you intellectually. He’s inviting you relationally. And so that tells us a lot about God. God is not out to create theological works so that you can see and begin to understand. He is actually in you to love you. And that tells us about, and we’re talking about, a God who is human, fully human.
Anthony: Yeah. Yes.
Paul: And he’s, “John, don’t take offense. Don’t be offended. Watch what I’m doing.”
Anthony: And yeah, talk to me about that. Is it, I’m just curious, can people declare the name of Jesus but then turn around and take offense to what he taught?
Paul: I’ve done it a lot.
Anthony: Okay. There you go.
Paul: In my past, I would take literally a talking snake more than the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is offensive for those of us who’ve eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil all our lives. And so, it’s no, love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you, on and on. If that’s not offensive, remember, Jesus said, “Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood,” and everybody is so offended that they leave, except for a few. Jesus turns to them and says, “So are you going to leave?” And Peter’s, like, “Where else do we have to go?”
Anthony: Yeah.
Paul: No, we’ve got nowhere to go. And that, and nobody’s talking words that contain life — life, the tree of life, who is Jesus. And so, yeah. What’s the value of offence? You look at the world around us right now and you see all the fear that is coming to the surface. What’s the value of that? Well, let me tell you. The commitment of God, the Holy Spirit has come to convict, and that’s the Greek word to expose. And the unexposed is the unhealed. So, it is a great thing, in one sense, that all of your crap is coming to the surface, because without that exposure, the possibility of healing is not there.
And the commitment of God is that everything that you’re involved in that is not of love’s kind, is going to be exposed so that you can be healed. And in that healing, you’ll become fully human, fully alive, and that is the action, that is the work of the Spirit. So, offended?
Anthony: Yeah. Yeah. And it’s end game, like you said, it’s healing, not shame.
Paul: No.
Anthony: There’s no shame in God’s game. He’s not bringing things to the surface. Go look at that one. Look how messed up they are.
Paul: No.
Anthony: It’s to heal it.
[00:38:05] Paul: I saw this t-shirt that a friend had and she wore this. And you look at it, and it’s got Jesus peeking around the corner and saying, “I saw that.” It’s a great shirt! And it’s the shame-basis that we carry with us that also has to be exposed. And God, just, he … at some point you can begin to understand that his character is trustworthy. But his behavior is certainly not and because our expectations are such that God will not live within the context of them.
And as a result, we get offended and disappointed and God doesn’t show up the way that we want God to show up, and we create theologies to try to manage God and are continuously disappointed. But that’s exposure.
Anthony: Yeah. And as I look at the text, just a final word, Jesus is a man full of integrity. Because as I’m looking at verse 5, didn’t he preach when he first went into the synagogue? The blind would get their sight. The lame would walk.
Paul: Yeah.
Anthony: People would be healed. The dead would be raised; the poor would have good news. He’s living what he preached, what he said he was going to do, he did.
Paul: Yep.
Anthony: And this is the thing about God. I’ve always thought, if God in Jesus Christ predicts that he’s going to die, going to be buried and raised to newness of life, and he’s going to take all of us with him, like, trust that guy. Like that God is, we know he’s pretty great. And look what he pulled off. Let’s follow that one. He knows what he’s up to.
Paul: And that’s how Jesus announced his presence by reading from Isaiah that passage. And so, his reference here to John is exactly to that passage and how he announced himself.
Program Transcript
Paul Young—Year C Advent 3
Anthony: Let’s transition to the next pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 11:2–11. It’s a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the third Sunday of Advent, which is December 14. Paul, we’d be grateful if you read it for us, please.
Paul: Sure. I would love to.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Anthony: So, Paul, what does this text reveal about Jesus? This is where we always, this is what we come looking for in Scripture. What does it tell us about Jesus and, therefore, the Trinity?
Paul: One is Jesus loves; Jesus, he loves. Jesus loves John the Baptist.
Anthony: Yes, he does.
Paul: His cousin, he loves him. And he loves the people who are there listening to him. And he is helping their eyes to become open. And also, John is sending him a message from his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one?” You know, “Here I am.” He’s in prison. “Are you the one?” And Jesus says, “Tell him what and tell him what you hear.” And he doesn’t give him a theological conversation. He says, “Watch. Look at the fruit of my life.” And he begins to tell all the ways and the things that are happening around him and his activity in them.
So, Jesus is not a theologian. He is an expressor of his love relationship with the Father and the Spirit. He does not try to convince you. In fact, he hides things in parables a lot.
Anthony: Yes, he does.
Paul: And so, he’s not trying to convince you intellectually. He’s inviting you relationally. And so that tells us a lot about God. God is not out to create theological works so that you can see and begin to understand. He is actually in you to love you. And that tells us about, and we’re talking about, a God who is human, fully human.
Anthony: Yeah. Yes.
Paul: And he’s, “John, don’t take offense. Don’t be offended. Watch what I’m doing.”
Anthony: And yeah, talk to me about that. Is it, I’m just curious, can people declare the name of Jesus but then turn around and take offense to what he taught?
Paul: I’ve done it a lot.
Anthony: Okay. There you go.
Paul: In my past, I would take literally a talking snake more than the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is offensive for those of us who’ve eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil all our lives. And so, it’s no, love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you, on and on. If that’s not offensive, remember, Jesus said, “Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood,” and everybody is so offended that they leave, except for a few. Jesus turns to them and says, “So are you going to leave?” And Peter’s, like, “Where else do we have to go?”
Anthony: Yeah.
Paul: No, we’ve got nowhere to go. And that, and nobody’s talking words that contain life — life, the tree of life, who is Jesus. And so, yeah. What’s the value of offence? You look at the world around us right now and you see all the fear that is coming to the surface. What’s the value of that? Well, let me tell you. The commitment of God, the Holy Spirit has come to convict, and that’s the Greek word to expose. And the unexposed is the unhealed. So, it is a great thing, in one sense, that all of your crap is coming to the surface, because without that exposure, the possibility of healing is not there.
And the commitment of God is that everything that you’re involved in that is not of love’s kind, is going to be exposed so that you can be healed. And in that healing, you’ll become fully human, fully alive, and that is the action, that is the work of the Spirit. So, offended?
Anthony: Yeah. Yeah. And it’s end game, like you said, it’s healing, not shame.
Paul: No.
Anthony: There’s no shame in God’s game. He’s not bringing things to the surface. Go look at that one. Look how messed up they are.
Paul: No.
Anthony: It’s to heal it.
[00:38:05] Paul: I saw this t-shirt that a friend had and she wore this. And you look at it, and it’s got Jesus peeking around the corner and saying, “I saw that.” It’s a great shirt! And it’s the shame-basis that we carry with us that also has to be exposed. And God, just, he … at some point you can begin to understand that his character is trustworthy. But his behavior is certainly not and because our expectations are such that God will not live within the context of them.
And as a result, we get offended and disappointed and God doesn’t show up the way that we want God to show up, and we create theologies to try to manage God and are continuously disappointed. But that’s exposure.
Anthony: Yeah. And as I look at the text, just a final word, Jesus is a man full of integrity. Because as I’m looking at verse 5, didn’t he preach when he first went into the synagogue? The blind would get their sight. The lame would walk.
Paul: Yeah.
Anthony: People would be healed. The dead would be raised; the poor would have good news. He’s living what he preached, what he said he was going to do, he did.
Paul: Yep.
Anthony: And this is the thing about God. I’ve always thought, if God in Jesus Christ predicts that he’s going to die, going to be buried and raised to newness of life, and he’s going to take all of us with him, like, trust that guy. Like that God is, we know he’s pretty great. And look what he pulled off. Let’s follow that one. He knows what he’s up to.
Paul: And that’s how Jesus announced his presence by reading from Isaiah that passage. And so, his reference here to John is exactly to that passage and how he announced himself.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- When you hear someone talk about joy, what comes to mind? Does joy always have to be acquainted with what we consider good things? Has this message given you a better understanding of the joy Jesus offers?
- Share a time when your joy was challenged with darkness. Who or what lifted you out of that darkness and into the light?
- What brings you the greatest joy? Spouse? Children? Grandchildren? Your faith? Where is Jesus in that joy?
- How is Advent 3 helping you prepare for the celebration of the Incarnation?
