This is the third Sunday of Advent on the church calendar. It’s getting closer. For us who are parents and grandparents, we might have felt that way back in January, but for our little ones, they probably feel it will never get here. “Hark, the Herald angels sing...” Let’s get to it!

In fact, we do get our first liturgical introduction to an angel today. A surprising one, perhaps, but an angel nonetheless. His name is John. That’s right, the same John that we met in last week’s lesson who gained fame of sorts by baptizing folks in the Jordan River after calling on them to repent of their sins. The John we meet today is actually the same one as last week, but this time he is not identified with his preaching and baptizing; this time he is introduced simply as a messenger, a man sent from …