December 17th, 2023, will be the 3rd Sunday of Advent. During the Advent season, when believers eagerly await the celebration of Christ’s birth, there is so much consolation to be found in the habit of stopping to read, pray, and think.
The 3rd Sunday of Advent affords us the chance to mentally and spiritually be ready for both the joy of Jesus’ birth and his prophesied second coming. The promises of God which are outlined in his Word can give us hope. We can read the Scriptures to be reminded of how God has been true to us via the fulfillment of prophecy.
We are encouraged to consider the pleasure we have access to as a result of our belief in Jesus on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Their happy attitude is one of the defining traits of Christ-followers. Let’s not let this year’s challenges diminish the immense joy we are experiencing because of Jesus.
“Rejoice in the Lord continually,” Philippians 4:4 says. I’ll say it again: Celebrate! Let everyone see how gentle you are. The Lord is at hand. Would you sincerely pray that this Advent the pleasure of the Lord fills your heart as well as your home? May the spirit of God sanctify the days following Christmas, preparing our hearts as we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our king.
Meaning and Symbolism of the Third Sunday of Advent
The Latin word advent, which means “coming,” is where the word “Advent” originates. In the fourth and fifth centuries, Advent served as a time to get ready for new Christians to be baptized. To be ready for the celebration which accompanied the immersion of new believers, Christians would fast and pray for 40 days.
Advent became associated with the arrival of Christ over time. The Middle Ages saw the connection between Advent and the first arrival of Christ, which is celebrated at Christmas. Traditionally, Christians have been using this term to allude to Christ’s second coming. Today, we observe Advent during the four weeks that precede Christmas.
Lighting a third candle, occasionally pink as a symbol of pleasure, is customary during the 3rd Sunday of Advent. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, we read, pray, and consider the happiness that God’s plan brings us (which was prophesied by the prophets as well as realized through the death and life of Christ), as well as the promise of Christ’s impending, glory-filled return.
Graduate Sunday is the traditional name for the third Sunday in Advent. This Latin word for joy is graduate, and so this Sunday seems to be the perfect moment for us to celebrate the fact that Jesus came as well as died even though so that we could live forever alongside him!
Three Scripture passages are recommended for the 3rd Sunday of Advent
- 1–6 in Isaiah 35
In those days, even the wilderness as well as the desert will be joyful. The desert will rejoice bloom with crocuses in the spring. Yes, there is going to be a lot of joy, singing, and flowers!
The deserts will turn as lush and beautiful as Mount Carmel or perhaps the Sharon Plain, and as green as the Lebanon highlands. The Lord will show off his magnificence, the grandeur of our God, there.
Encourage people with weak knees and fortify those with weary hands with this news. Tell those who are filled with dread, “Be courageous and fear not; your God is indeed coming to annihilate your foes. He is approaching to rescue you.
When he arrives, he will also unplug the ears of the hearing impaired and unlock the eyes of both the blind. The speechless will sing with gladness, and the crippled will leap like such a deer! The wilderness will have springs, and the wastelands will have streams.
- Jeremiah 35:10
The Lord will bring back individuals who have been ransomed. They will arrive in Jerusalem singing and filled with unending delight. They will be replaced with happiness and delight in place of sorrow and mourning.
- Mark 11:2–11
While incarcerated, John the Baptist learned about all that the Messiah was accomplishing. To find out if Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for, he dispatched his followers to ask him.
The Good News is now being proclaimed to the poor, the blind sees, this same lame walk, those of us with leprosy are healed, and the deaf hear. The bodies are raised from the dead, Jesus instructed them. “Go back to John as well as tell him what they’ve heard and seen,” he said. God honors those who don’t depart because of me, he continued.
As John’s followers were dispersing, Jesus started introducing himself to the people. What sort of person did you seek out in the wilderness? Was he a feeble reed that was easily moved by the wind? Or did you anticipate coming across a man wearing costly clothing? No, wealthy individuals reside in palaces.
Did you seek out a prophet?
He is a prophet, but he is also more than that. The Scriptures refer to John when they state, “Look, I am dispatching my envoy ahead of you, and then he will pave your way before you.” True to my word, John the Baptist stands out above all people who have ever lived. Even the smallest member of the heavenly kingdom, however, is superior to him!
