Advent IV – Preparing the Way

Sermon by Gianluca

Philippians 4:4-7       St John 1:19-28

“The Lord is at hand!”

Christmas is almost here—only a few days away. Some of you may be eagerly counting down to this great feast. Others may be thankful there is still time to prepare, because we all know: without preparation, there is no feast. Today’s gospel reading seems to have this need for preparation in mind, drawing our attention again to John the Baptist, who we could call the man of preparation.

All four Gospels place great weight on John’s ministry. Jesus even compared his role to that of Elijah, the mighty prophet who called Israel to repent of idolatry. At great personal risk, Elijah gathered the people on Mount Carmel, along with the prophets of Baal, to expose the emptiness of false gods. But the most important thing was that Elijah created a moment where the people could see the power and glory of the living God. In the same way, John the Baptist prepared the people to turn from their evil ways and to meet Christ.

John’s work is also often set alongside that of Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt. Moses brought them through the Red Sea—an event the New Testament treats as a picture of baptism. Passing through the waters, they left slavery behind and entered a new life, ready to be brought to Mount Sinai and to meet God. Likewise, John called people to renounce the sins that held them captive and baptised them as a sign of a new beginning—so they would be ready for the Messiah and the coming Kingdom of God.

These parallels are enlightening because they remind us that preparation is often required before people can truly encounter God. Yet the coming of Jesus differs from these earlier examples in one essential respect: in the Old Testament, God had not yet come in the flesh, and therefore He was harder to know. In Jesus, however, God revealed Himself to humanity. That raises an important question: was John the Baptist’s ministry of preparation still necessary? Could God not have omitted him altogether? Would the Gospel accounts be any less compelling without John? Does Christ not speak for Himself? After all, is not the Person and work of Christ infinitely greater?

At first glance, the very notion that Jesus “needed” another person for His mission sounds irreverent. That is why we must examine John’s contribution more carefully to explain why he was important.

Before John appeared, the nation had several opportunities to expect and prepare for the Messiah’s coming. The extraordinary events surrounding Jesus’ birth signalled that He had been born, and they stirred many people—King Herod and the religious leaders, for example, after their encounter with the Magi. The nation could have started preparing for the Lord’s revelation, but the message did not seem to sink in. In the end, Jesus’ birth drew surprisingly little interest.

But then John arrived on the scene. He awakened the nation. The Gospels say that people from Judea and Jerusalem went out to the Jordan to hear him—by the thousands. He convinced people that something decisive was near—that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Under his preaching, people began to recognise the sins they had learned to excuse.

John had a profound impact—not only through his public preaching, but also through his personal conversations. He offered clear, practical guidance rooted in everyday life: concrete steps that ordinary people could actually take. His counsel was not extreme, but measured and sound. When soldiers—men serving the Roman occupation—asked what they should do, he did not tell them to abandon their posts. He said, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). That kind of balanced instruction gave his message credibility.

So, when we consider John the Baptist’s contribution, it seems fair to say that his ministry helped launch Christ’s public ministry. He awakened interest in the kingdom of God and stirred expectation that something decisive was about to happen. He gave the people a framework for understanding what was coming and even pointed directly to Jesus. Of course, Jesus could have accomplished His mission without him, and in that sense John’s ministry was not strictly necessary. Yet without John, it would likely have taken longer. John prepared the ground in ways that did not need repeating, leaving Jesus free to focus on what only He could bring: the full revelation of God.

But surely there is a deeper meaning in the collaboration between John the Baptist and Jesus. Although Jesus could have succeeded without him, it has always been God’s way to work together with humanity. He chose Abraham to become the father of many nations, through whom blessing would come to the world. God spoke His words through the prophets; they were subsequently passed on by human hands. Eve became the mother of the living, and Jesus, the Life-giving Bread, who will crush the serpent’s head, was brought into the world by Mary. God has always worked with humanity, as Father David stressed in last week’s sermon. It is therefore not surprising that God relied on John's work. God will continue to collaborate with humans until the very end, as the prophet Joel foretold:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28–29)

This makes clear, that God’s children all will continue to have a role to play in preparing the way for the Lord, by helping others to recognise and receive Him.

But how could a nation be prepared for the coming of the Messiah? What could John do and contribute to God’s work? The central element of his message was the confrontation of sin. But could the preparation not have taken a different form—for example, explaining the meaning of biblical prophecy and focusing on what was about to happen? Wouldn’t it have been better if people understood more clearly what to expect from the Messiah? Wouldn't that have been a more effective way to persuade them to receive Jesus? Why, then, was it so important to stress repentance?

The answer is not complicated, of course. We all know that sin separates us from God in many ways. Sin preoccupies the mind with distractions that rob us of our desire to look for Him. For example, when we are caught up in conflicts, the emotions surrounding it dominate our thoughts. If we are overburdened by work or live undisciplined, chaotic lives, our daily walk with God suffers. Sin also shapes our tastes; it can dull our appetite for what is good. If, for example, we regularly eat junk food, our desire for healthy food—such as vegetables—tends to weaken. Likewise, if we fill our minds with things that stir up base thoughts and passions, we may find little nourishment in Scripture or in writings that elevate the soul. If we become accustomed to seeking affirmation of our own greatness, we may resist the greatness of others—and even recoil from the idea of our own sinfulness and need for salvation. In other words, when sin rules our lives, we become unable to recognise and appreciate the revelation of God, even when it is right in front of us.

Looking back at the lack of response to the signs and wonders surrounding Christ’s birth, it becomes clear that the people were in desperate need of an awakening. John the Baptist accomplished precisely that.

Today’s Gospel reading adds one more aspect to consider. It recounts the encounter between John the Baptist and the envoys of the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who had decided to investigate him. They did not go themselves, and they were careful not to associate with him, lest they give the impression that they needed his advice or counsel. It likely did not even occur to them that they were in need, for they saw themselves as the guardians of knowledge, who knew how God ought to be served and worshipped.

The investigators wanted to know how John understood himself, and they were in for a surprise. His answers were plain: he was not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a second Moses. He made no attempt to leave them with the impression that he was important. Finally, in frustration, they pressed him: ‘What do you say about yourself? What are we to tell those who sent us?’ Then John quoted the prophet Isaiah, who had lived some eight hundred years earlier, and replied, ‘I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord.’

What is striking about that prophecy is that it says nearly nothing about the messenger; it directs all attention to the message itself. There is simply a voice crying out to prepare the Lord's way. John sought no recognition. He stressed only that the Lord was coming and that he was unworthy even to untie the straps of His sandals. That was the message the envoys were meant to carry back.

In this response, John was not being unkind or evasive. Rather, this was his way of preparing the nation’s religious leaders, who needed to grasp that Someone was coming who stood far above them, even though He would come in humble form. If they could not accept that Another might carry greater authority, they would be at risk of not recognising Him. What they needed was humility. For God may speak in overwhelming ways, and He may speak in quiet ones—through the teachers of the Church and through ordinary men and women. But pride blinds and hinders us from recognising the voice of God.

As we come to recognize the timelessness of John’s message, we understand that it must be an integral part of the gospel. We all need preparation and repentance if we are to receive God. And we must recognise that, whoever or whatever we may encounter in the world or even in the Church, none is worthy to untie the straps of His sandals. When this awareness has prepared the heart, it will not cling to anything or anyone else, but will hunger and thirst for Him alone. Such a heart will find Him and rejoice in Him always; it will “be anxious about nothing but in everything make its requests known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving”

For the whole purpose of preparation is that we may truly receive Him, not anything else, allowing His peace to guard our hearts and our minds. If we seek knowledge, we may find knowledge—yet it is knowledge that passes away. If we seek honour, we may find honour, yet it is honour that proves fleeting. But if we seek the Lord, He will let Himself be found, for He is near and has given Himself for us. Therefore, let us prepare our hearts to receive Him—His Body and Blood—and may He so transform us that we become voices who help others prepare for the coming of the Lord. For the Lord is at Hand!

Amen.