Sunday Sermon, 21 December 2025

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

A reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1.1–7 NRSV

In ‘The Return of the King’, Tolkien’s final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is a pivotal moment where the Fellowship decides to march to Sauron’s Black Gate to face their mighty enemy. They have no chance of beating Sauron’s forces, but it might buy time for Frodo and Sam to destroy the ring, and save the day. As they debate whether or not to take this risky manoeuvre, the brave dwarf Gimli says: “Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?”

“What are we waiting for?” is a good question for Advent.

For some, it expresses the frustration of having to wait around, and a desire to get on with things. Think of the excited children who are eagerly waiting to wake up on Christmas Day and see what Father Christmas has brought them! Or those who have left things to last minute, and get frustrated as they find themselves waiting in long shopping queues on Christmas Eve.

For some, the waiting will be the pleasant anticipation of things we are looking forward to – meeting up with family and friends, a chance to slow down for a few days, the enjoyment of delicious food, and the usual festive rituals.

For others, Christmas is a time which can heighten a sense of loneliness or loss, and it’s a case of waiting for the whole thing to be over and the decorations to come down.

What are we waiting for?

*  *  *

For the Christian, the waiting of Advent goes much deeper than simply preparing for the festive celebrations of the season. The question is designed to provoke spiritual reflection, contemplation, and recalibration.

In St Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives the object of our waiting in Advent. It lies in its simplest form at the heart of this morning’s reading: that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is the ‘good news’, or ‘Gospel’, that St Paul wanted to share with the world.

St Paul tells us that Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah from the line of David, whom God promised to his people long ago in the Holy Scriptures. This is the message of Jeremiah and the prophets that we have been considering over the past few months; in the midst of the trauma of the exile, God was working to provide a King who would overcome the pain of separation and create a new and everlasting covenant with his people.

But St Paul also tells us that Jesus is more than this; he is the Son of God, the one who brings grace and peace to all people, Jew and Gentile alike. For St Paul, the phrase ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ is all encompassing; Christ is enthroned over all creation, and provides meaning and purpose to all things. It is Paul’s mission to share this good news with all, in order to bring about what he calls the ‘obedience of faith’.

What are we waiting for? According to St Paul, it is to see more fully and clearly the Lordship of Christ in all of life, and to respond to this with obedience and faith.

*  *  *

But for this reason it can be an uncomfortable question, because it asks us to be honest with ourselves about what we’re really waiting for.

The nineteenth century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard tells a parable of a rich man and a peasant on a starry night. The rich man is carried along in his coach in comfort, with his lantern close to him. He feels secure and safe. But the brightness of the lantern prevents him from seeing the beauty and the mystery of the stars.

In contrast, the peasant walks under the stars without comfort, but he is able to look up and appreciate the vastness of the universe.

It is a parable that shows that the noisiness of life, especially for those who live in privilege, can obscure the deep mystery and energy at the heart of creation.

It is easy to become caught up in the glitter and tinsel of the commercial Christmas, and forget that we are celebrating one who was born into humility and poverty, and who calls his followers to deny themselves for the sake of others.

And once Christmas has passed and we enter the New Year, we can become so focussed on immediate goals – completing a project at work, planning for a summer holiday, renovating the house – that we miss the bigger picture.

The waiting of Advent interrupts this cycle. It is an opportunity to step out of the comfort of the carriage, turn down the lights, and try and catch a glimpse of the Lordship of Christ in all things – in both the big and little things of life – and to ask ourselves how our confession that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ should bring about change in our own life.

*  *  *

After all, we live in a complex world, and we need time to chew over the implications of our confession. What does it mean to say ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ in the face of immense suffering? When wars rage all around us? When we see the effects of the climate crisis but feel helpless to do anything about it? When multi-billion dollar corporations shape and direct our lives in ways that we are often not even aware of?

Rather than jumping to easy answers or facile conclusions, Advent encourages us to take time probing and pondering these questions. We must avoid triumphalist thinking, but rather remember that we worship a crucified messiah, who comes not as a mighty king, but as a suffering servant.

What are we waiting for?

There is not long to go until Christmas Day, and the celebration of God’s son, our Saviour! Let us use these final days of waiting wisely, and allow this question to shake up and challenge our complacency so that we might be ready to greet ‘Jesus Christ our Lord’ when he comes in glory.

Amen.