Please read the note below from Pastor Woodhouse regarding his sermon:

During the season of Advent, our Gospel readings concentrate heavily upon the figure of John the Baptist. The proper preface we pray together at the beginning of the Service of the Sacrament also names him specifically. And this is appropriate, since it is John’s unique task to prepare the world for the coming of its Savior, and to identify Jesus as the true Lamb of God.

But it might be easy for us, from time to time, to let the emotions that the world prefers to associate with Christmas to get in the way of a serious consideration of what John the Baptist has to say to us. John does, indeed, point to Jesus as the promised Messiah and Savior of the world. But he also reminds us of our need for a savior, and turns our hearts to repentance for our great sinfulness. Before we can grasp the fullness of the peace and joy of beholding the Son of God made flesh, we must first hear the indictment of John the Baptist!