Third Sunday of Advent - John the Baptist

Third Sunday of Advent - John the Baptist

Three candles blaze this Gaudete Sunday – rejoice! – and we remember John the Baptist, that wild prophetic bridge between promise and fulfilment. Dressed in camel hair, eating locusts, living in the wilderness, John is the last and greatest prophet, the one who actually gets to point and say "Look! There he is!" Everything the Patriarchs hoped for, everything the Prophets proclaimed – John sees it walking toward him through the Jordan's water.

Yet John embodies Advent's beautiful paradox: he must decrease so Christ can increase. His ministry is to prepare, to point away from himself, to be the voice not the Word. At Guildford Cathedral, as these three candles burn brighter, we're reminded that our job is John's job – to be witnesses to the Light, not the Light itself.

John's message is urgent: the kingdom is near, right at the door! But his joy is deep, rooted in knowing his purpose. "I'm not worthy to untie his sandals," he says, and somehow this humility sets him free.

Who are you pointing toward this Advent? How might you decrease so Christ can increase in your life?

 

Dean Bob

 

Our Services, Reflections and Talks Sunday 14 December 2025

Gaudete Sunday |  3rd Sunday of Advent

🕢 7:30am Morning Prayer

⛪ 8:00am Holy Communion

🕯️ 9:45am Cathedral Eucharist

📖 11:30am Advent Reflections: John the Baptist – Rev Jo Winn-Smith

🎶 6:00pm Choral Evensong

🎨 7:15pm Advent & Art Talk – Rev Canon Dr Steve Summers