A reading from the book of Mark 1:1-8: The prophet Isaiah wrote said, “I’m sending a messenger to you to tell you to ‘Prepare the way of the Lord!’. John the Baptist was in the desert baptizing people in the River Jordan and telling them to ask for forgiveness of their sins, the bad things they had done in their life to prepare for Jesus’ coming. John the Baptist said, “One much greater than I am coming! Prepare the way of the Lord! I baptize you with water. However, Jesus will come and baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
John the Baptist was the messenger that the prophet Isaiah was talking about. John the Baptist was preparing the people for Jesus’ coming by baptizing them and encouraging them to repent or say they were sorry for their sins. Remember, sin is the sad/bad things we do in life that do not bring us closer to God. We want to be as close to God as possible, so we want to do our best and not sin.
This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. This week we are lighting the 2nd Purple Candle. The 2nd purple candle represents Faith with the “Bethlehem Candle” which reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s (Jesus’ parents) journey to Bethlehem. Just like John the Baptist was preparing for Jesus, we are preparing for Jesus’ coming too!
Questions to ask your child about this week’s lesson:
Who did Isaiah send to prepare people for Jesus? (John the Baptist)
How did John the Baptist prepare people for Jesus? (baptize them, encourage them to repent and do good)
How are you preparing for Jesus this 2nd Sunday of Advent?