Sermon

14th December 2025

We have already lit our first two Advent Candles.  We thought first about the great founders of our faith tradition who lived nearly 4000 years ago and then, last week, of John the Baptist who preached the coming of Jesus and who baptised him in the River Jordan.

This week we are encouraged to think about the Old Testament Prophets: men and women sent by God through much of that last millenium BC.  They saw the ways in which Israel was turning its back on God; they saw the people ignoring God’s laws and how, as a result, their nation was suffering and failing.  They implored the people to turn back to God who would, in return, restore the people and their country to its former glory.

Within the Christian tradition, going back indeed into the pages of the New Testament, there is a tendency to take odd verses out of the prophets’ writings and interpret them as predictions of the coming of Jesus: we will see hints of this when we gather next Sunday evening for our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.  But I want to suggest that it is more, much more, than that.

I believe that the whole of the Old Testament is leading up to its fulfilment in the coming of Jesus: right back to those who first realised that there was the one God who had created both them and their world; a God cared for them; a God who had a purpose for them.  From then onwards, we see God revealing Himself to them, although so often to be ignored, even to the extent of the worship of false gods.

This is why the Old Testament is so important.  But during the lifetimes of most of us, less and less attention has been given to it: Christianity has become almost a religion based on the New Testament, rather than the whole of Scripture, both Old and New.  Children are frequently no longer taught those great stories from the Old Testament, although I am delighted that our Bubble Church has been telling the story of Moses.  It’s just as bad in Church: during the two months of Eastertide, all three bible readings at mass every Sunday are from the New Testament.

So, today as we light our third candle and sing the third verse only of the song on the back of your service cards, we remember those prophets of old, and that whole Old Testament tradition that will culminate in the birth of Jesus.

God our Father, You spoke to the prophets of old of a Saviour who would bring peace.

You helped them to spread the joyful message of his coming kingdom.

Help us as we prepare to celebrate his birth, to share with those around us the good news of your power and love.  We ask this through Jesus Christ,

The Light who is coming into the world.

Amen

Light the Advent candle three,

think of prophets sent from Thee.

Time to put away our sins,

time to welcome Jesus in.