Preparing for Worship - December 21, 2025

The Psalm for this 4th Sunday in Advent is Psalm 111. It is a psalm for God’s people to sing in praise and thanksgiving to God, especially as they gather as a congregation. This psalm focuses on the works and deeds of the Lord, while other psalms focus more on the Words of the Lord. We know that the Lord is great and righteous and gracious and merciful and faithful and just and trustworthy because of what He has done for us, in keeping His covenant promises for us, and in sending redemption to us. There was the redemption from slavery in Egypt and so many other times when God rescued His Old Testament people, even when they had been sinful and rebellious against Him, too often, as we have been. We especially grow in wisdom and gain a deeper understanding of His love as we see the saving work of His Son, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament. We then try to honor His Name and seek to fear and trust in Him in our own lives. We pray that His praise endures forever, in our own hearts, by His grace and the gift of faith worked in us.

In the Old Testament lesson, Deuteronomy 18:15-20, God promises through the prophet Moses that there would one day be a prophet like Moses, but even greater than he. The Lord would put His words in this prophet’s mouth, and He would speak God’s Word faithfully, and everyone should be listening to Him. This is a reference to Christ Jesus and His preaching and teaching and work. Peter says that this prophet is Jesus in Acts 3:20-26. Stephen also quotes this passage and refers to Jesus in Acts 7:39ff. See how John the Baptist, in John 1:21-34, explains that he is not the Christ, the great prophet, but rather prepares the way for Jesus and is not worthy even to untie the sandals of Jesus. He identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” and was “before him,” though John was born before Him. Jesus, He says, was “the Son of God.” In Deuteronomy 18:20, God warns through Moses that there will be false prophets, to whom people must not listen, and that what these prophets say will not always come true. Furthermore, people must not, above all, listen to those who speak in the name of other gods. People must listen to the Words of this one true Prophet predicted by Moses, though, and He is clearly identified as Jesus in the New Testament. See Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom He also created the world.” (See also Matthew 17:5 and many other such Scriptures.)

The Gospel lesson is John 1:19-28, already referred to in the previous passage. The testimony of John the Baptist was that he was not the Christ, nor Elijah come back to life, nor the great Prophet predicted by Moses, but rather John was the one to make straight the way for the greatest Prophet, Jesus. Right after this Scripture, John also speaks of the baptism of Jesus and how the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus like a dove and remained on Him, identifying Him as the Promised One and the Savior, who could bring the gift of faith through water and the Spirit in the New Testament Sacrament of Baptism. See also John 3:1-7 and Acts 2:38-39 and Matthew 28:18-20, and Paul combining the Word with the Gift of baptism in Acts 16:29-34 and in Mark 16:14-16.

The Epistle lesson is Philippians 4:4-7. Paul had already written in Philippians 3:1, in his Epistle of Joy: “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” And so again, two more times, Paul says, in Chapter 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Why should God’s people be rejoicing? Because, Paul says, the Lord is at hand, and He is living in every believer in Christ with all the gifts He has provided for us in Christ as our Savior. We are not perfect and cannot rid ourselves of all our anxieties. Paul could not, as he admits in 2 Corinthians 11:28-29: “And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the church. Who is weak, and I am not weak?” Yet in everything, even our worries, we can bring our requests to the Lord by prayer and supplication, asking the Lord to supply what we really need, and we can be thankful for what the Lord has already provided for us, so richly. So, Paul says, we can seek to let our gentleness and graciousness be known to others, in building our relationships with others. Paul put it this way in Titus 3:1-2: “to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” It is the peace, forgiveness, and hope that God has given us that guard and protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and encourage us to be confident in Him and His Word and to seek to be Christlike in our dealings with others. See the words of Jesus Himself in John 14:25-27. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But when the Helper (the Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” That teaching still goes on for us, as we listen, even today, to what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit says and does for us in and through the Scriptures.