On the Second Sunday of Advent, we meet John the Baptist, the wild, unsettling prophet who refuses to let us sleepwalk toward Christmas. His message is not cozy or sentimental, but urgent and clarifying: God is coming, and everything hinges on whether we are awake and ready.

This sermon explores why John the Baptist stands at the threshold of Advent as the essential bridge between promise and fulfillment. Through Scripture, story, and a surprising literary analogy, we are invited to examine the difference between dutiful religion and wholehearted devotion.

Advent is not about polite waiting or cautious faith. It is a call to repentance, attention, and courage. John points beyond himself to Jesus, the Lamb of God who comes, who will come again, and who calls us to go all in.

Wake up. Prepare the way.