13 December 2026
Bible readings for today
Liturgical colour: VIOLET |
CollectE te Atua Kaha rawa,
i tonoa e koe tāu pononga a Hoani Kaiiriiri hei whakapai i te huarahi mō te haerenga mai o tāu Tama; tukua ki a rātou e kauwhau nei i tāu kupu ā, arahina ō mātou waewae ki te ara o te rangimārie, kia tū tangata ai mātou i mua i tōna aroaro mō tōna taenga mai i runga i te korōria o tōna kīngitanga; E īnoi ai mātou i roto i a te Karaiti tō mātou Kaiwhakawā, me tō mātou Kaihoko. Āmine. Almighty God, you sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of your Son; grant that those who proclaim your word may so guide our feet into the way of peace, that we may stand with confidence before him when he comes in his glorious kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Judge and our Redeemer. Amen. |
John the Baptist (John 1:6-8, 19-28) / Advent 3: Joy (Koa)
Input for Leaders“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” In the Gospel reading for today, John asks Jesus to confirm that he is in fact the messiah they have all been waiting for.
John the Baptist anticipated a messiah who would be greater than himself. John is portrayed as the forerunner of Jesus who prepares the people for Jesus' ministry. John baptised Jesus and was beheaded by Herod. These verses talk about John the Baptist, and the description he gives to the Jewish leaders as to who he is. When questioned if he was a prophet, or Elijah, he tells them that while he baptises people with water, he will not be worthy to baptise the One who is coming. Third Advent Candle/Sunday: Joy – “Gaudete Sunday”
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10-12) The third candle of Advent symbolizes Joy. As we continue to approach Christmas Day, our joy grows more and more. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem, even before the wise men. On this third Sunday of Advent we light the third candle and rejoice like the shepherds. For this reason, the third candle of Advent is called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” and its colour is sometimes pink, the liturgical colour for joy. Who was John the Baptist?
You can find more about John in Matthew 3:1-6, but the words that Jesus uses to describe him in today's reading is fascinating: "“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!" Is Jesus the Messiah? Yes! In today's reading, Jesus confirms that all the signs of the messiah have been made fulfilled in him. “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen-- the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”
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BibleProject
From the BibleProject: John begins his Gospel account by introducing Jesus as the Word of God, echoing the opening chapters of Genesis, where God created life through his spoken word. This beginning was good, but when God’s creatures rejected his instructions, all creation spiraled into death. The world needed a new beginning, so God's divine word spoke again, but this time, the word became a human named Jesus. For more information on John 1, check out the following BibleProject resources: John 1 Study Notes John 1 Script References John 1 Blog Post John 1 Podcast Episode Visio Lectio
Thanks to Visio Lectio for sharing this image today. Copyright Rev Sarah West, shared here with permission. PNG Download Terms of Us 
Gospel Conversations 2025: Joy! That's the candle we light on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. And yet the reading is a tough one. John the Baptist, whom we met courageously proclaiming the Kingdom of God last week, is now in prison and unsure. Where is the joy in that?
10 Minutes to More Joy (Crossroads)
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Lighting the Advent CandleEach week we gather together and light another candle. We see the light growing brighter and brighter as we get closer to the birth of the “Light of the World.”
Here is one way to do it (there are lots of different ways!): The focus this third week of Advent is Joy. This week we light the Hope candle and the Peace candle and the Joy candle. Sometimes we use a pink candle for Joy. If your congregation uses a pink candle in its Advent wreath, then you could explain that today is Gaudete Sunday.
Intergenerational Worship
Advent 3: Joy (Intergen Australia)
Advent to Christmas Series: Year A 2026 Written and compiled by Katherine Ruhle. Bible references: Isaiah, Luke, Matthew. 
Advent 3: A joyful transformation (Intergen Australia)
Advent to Christmas Series: Year A 2023 Written and compiled by Alison Knox. Bible references: Isaiah. Kids TalksOn this week's readings:
On the theme of Joy:
Games & ActivitiesFun Sheets / Colouring
Christmas Craft - Joy The third week of Advent is for joy. Here are a few crafts to remind us:
Questions to wonder about...
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Preschool PlayTell the story
Hide and 'Sheep' Using soft toys sheep, or just cotton balls or pom-poms, hide a bunch around a room and have children hunt for them like shepherds. You may want to use the items for a sheep-themed craft afterwards. Try this easy activity with free printable (Kids Kubby). Real sheep, real story If you have any farmers in your community why not see if they can bring a lamb or two to visit? Or for a more simple option - have some sheep products available to explore. Try some wool or a sample of sheep's milk cheese. Talk about - What is it like to be a shepherd? What is it like to get really good news? When did you get really good news? Why was Jesus really good news? Dressups Provide some dressups for kids to explore the nativity characters and story. Talk about - who are each of the characters, how this story really happened, going on journeys, new babies, and Christmas. Why do we still tell this story today? Playdough Station Try this fun shepherds and angels playdough mat (Flame Creative), or put out some playdough, people and animals and let the kids recreate the story. Talk about - have you ever been to a farm or seen a sheep? What was it like? Have you ever seen a new baby? What was it like? Have you ever seen anything unusual like an angel? What was it like? Pray it!Joyful balloon prayers (Godventure)
Try this fun, active and joyful way to thank God for the things you love about Christmas. 
Art in AdventIf you want to mark Advent in a simple rich way, how about creating a space where your kids can spend some time with Advent art. Some of my favourites advent depicting artists are John Swanson, Julie Vivas, and He Qi.
Try these questions or make up your own: What do you see? What is different from the bible story? What is the same? What might this show us about God? About people? About our world? What do you think is important in this picture? Does anything in this picture have more than one meaning? I wonder what God might be saying to you through this picture today? Nativity - He Qi 
John the Baptist ActivitiesYou can find more about John the Baptist in Matthew 3! Here are some activities that you may like to include, if you end up doing a deep dive on John.
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John the Baptist Media
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Advent Joy Media
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Songs
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Mary's Song (Luke 1:46-55)
This passage is repeated next week too...
Media
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The Year of the Lord's Favour (Isaiah 61: 1-4,8-11)
These verses talk about the good news for the oppressed, and are fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
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