Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8 / John 5:33-36
By this time, we would be hearing Christmas carols or songs about the Christmas festive season over the air-waves.
Over the radio and in shopping malls, we would hear the traditional carols like "O Holy Night" and "Little Town of Bethlehem" to the more secular ones like "Jingle Bell Rock".
The more traditional ones would certainly bring up some memories of how we spent Christmas and the experiences that we had, and these are once again lighted up and we would look forward to Christmas.
In the gospel, Jesus described John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining, and for a time the people were contented to enjoy the light that he gave.
Because the voice of prophecy had been silent for about 400 years until John the Baptist came into the scene.
The people remembered the promises of old through the voice of John the Baptist. The hope of the people was kindled. The fire of faith began to burn again.
But John the Baptist was not just talking about the past. He was pointing to the future in which the promises of God would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ the Saviour.
Similar the voice of God in the Scriptures that we hear during Advent does not just talk about the past promises of God but about about the promise already fulfilled
We now look at Christmas and the future not just with memories of what had been but what is to come. May we look with eyes of faith and hope because the promises of God has already been fulfilled.