The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally “Joy Sunday” and the pink or rose-colored Advent candle is lit.

Rejoicing is a big part of what it means to prepare for Christmas. The good news of Advent is that God is coming. God’s promises are being fulfilled. We are to await that, to believe that, and open ourselves fully to it. That is cause for celebration and rejoicing.

But there is something tricky about great gifts, especially when the gift is a child. Often, the first responses to someone’s announcement that they are going to have a baby is, “Congratulations! That is great news!” But not too long after, someone says, ““Now, you are in for it. Your life will never be the same.”

So, into the midst of joyful preparation for Christmas John the Baptist comes along and the image shifts. We encounter John at his most intense. John doesn’t say to rejoice. He says to repent. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians to not be anxious about anything. John tells us to flee from the wrath to come.

If we think about it, that makes sense. Fear and anxiety are also part of preparing and waiting. Repent should be heard and felt at the same moment we hear and feel the call to rejoice. For the Lord we await in Advent is a Lord who makes a difference, who changes things.