ADVENT 2025 - The King
November 30 - December 28, 2025
Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
Matthew 2:2
Welcome to Advent 2025! We will celebrate the hope of Christmas as we end a calendar year and launch a new liturgical year together. Our theme is still Flourishing Together! We have gathered around this theme all year long. Hopefully, our shared journey has deepened our roots in Christ.
As we bring the year to a conclusion, we will allow Matthew to be our guide for the Advent Season. His Gospel is thoroughly Jewish in orientation. He gives particular attention to the fulfillment of prophecy as he shares his account of the life of Jesus Christ.
For centuries, scholars have sought to discern the basic structure of the Gospel of Matthew. It is a lengthy book, and it is helpful to try to get some sense of Matthew’s organizational focus as he shares his version of the greatest story ever told. A brief overview of the options posed by scholars may help us contextualize our Advent journey through Matthew.
The simplest explanation regarding a possible structure of Matthew’s Gospel hinges on his use of the statement, “from that time Jesus began . . .” (Matthew 4:17; 16:21). If you use that formula, then the structure looks like this:
1. The Person of the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-4:16
2. The Proclamation of the Messiah – Matthew 4:17-16:20
3. The Passion of the Messiah – Matthew 16:21-28:20
I actually like this structure! However, it is too simplistic and does not really give credibility to the complexity of Matthew’s thought. He is not always concerned with chronology as he shares his account.
Another option is to use the 5 Major Discourses of the Gospel as the core structure of Matthew. In other words, there is a poetic sense to Matthew’s use of narrative and discourse as he organizes his material around these major sermons from Jesus. Many scholars have utilized some version of this structure.
This particular approach gives credibility to the Jewish perspective of Matthew. Just as the Old Covenant is given definition by the 5 Books of the Law, the New Covenant is revealed through the 5 Major Discourses.
This is the approach taken by Michael Wilkins in The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (2004). Wilkins assigns new names to the traditionally accepted major discourses in this fashion:
Kingdom Life Disciples (Sermon on the Mount) – Matthew 5-7
Mission-Driven Disciples (Missionary Discourse) – Matthew 10
Clandestine-Kingdom Disciples (Parabolic Discourse) – Matthew 13
Community-Based Disciples (Community Discourse) – Matthew 18
Expectant-Sojourner Disciples (Olivet Discourse) – Matthew 24-25
I like Wilkins’s emphasis on disciples and discipleship. He bases this on the Great Commission given by Jesus to the church – make disciples! These various sermons highlight different aspects of discipleship and proved information as to how disciples are to live in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
I don’t think there is any question that Matthew intended these discourses to be an expression of the New Covenant and that they somehow correspond to the Five Books of the Law. They are not necessarily one-to-one expressions of the law, but the symbolism is easily recognizable.
Another intriguing way to structure the Gospel of Matthew is connected to the 10 quotations from Isaiah used by Matthew as he focuses on the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies in the Person and Work of Jesus. British scholar, James Patrick has written about this potential organizational structure for understanding Matthew:
1) 1:1-2:23 – ‘The virgin shall bear a son’ [Mt 1:23 = Isa 9:6]
2) 3:1-4:11 – ‘The way of the Lord in the wilderness’ [Mt 3:3 = Isa 40:3]
3) 4:12-7:29 – ‘A great light in Galilee’ [Mt 4:15-16 = Isa 9:1-2]
4) 8:1-10:42 – ‘He carried away our diseases’ [Mt 8:17 = Isa 53:4]
5) 11:1-12:45 – ‘Bruised reeds & Gentile judgement’ [Mt 12:17-21 = Isa 42:1-4]
6) 12:46-13:58 – ‘Hearing and understanding’ [Mt 13:14-15 = Isa 6:9-10]
7) 14:1-16:12 – ‘Teaching the traditions of men’ [Mt 15:8-9 = Isa 29:13]
8) 16:13-21:11 – ‘The King coming to Zion, gentle’ [Mt 21:5 = Isa 62:11 & Zec 9:9]
9) 21:12-25:46 – ‘House of prayer’ or ‘robbers’ den’ [Mt 21:13 = Isa 56:7 & Jer 7:11]
10) 26:1-28:20 – ‘Shepherd and sheep’ (& Galilee) [Mt 26:31 = Zec 13:7 & Isa 53:4-6]
-James Patrick’s Blog, March 7, 2009
MAIN EMPHASIS OF MATTHEW
Regardless of how one chooses to organize the structure of Matthew’s Gospel, there is unanimity regarding the central message of Matthew:
Jesus is King!
There you have it! Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy that ties Jesus to the lineage of King David. His birth narrative clearly expresses the divine nature of the Messiah (namely the Virgin Birth of Jesus). He also includes the story of the Magi visiting in search of the King of the Jews. As the story unfolds, Matthew shares how Jesus established the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and how He describes His expectations of life in the new Kingdom.
The word “kingdom” appears 56 times in Matthew and the phrase “kingdom of heaven” occurs 32 times!
The Gospel of Matthew is first and foremost about King Jesus!!!
With that said, here is my sense of how we will make our way through Advent 2025. We will begin with an acknowledgement of the influence of Isaiah in the Messianic theology of Matthew (and in the theology of the early Christians) as we explore the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11. Then we will proceed to celebrate our King! We will even use KING as an acrostic of sorts:
November 30: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
There are at least 10 quotations from Isaiah in Matthew. Isaiah 11 is not directly quoted by Matthew, but the theology of this prophecy is undoubtedly woven in the imagination of the early church.
K --- December 7: Born The King, Ne’er a Prince!
So, we begin our celebration of the King!
I ---- December 14: Identity Gift
We have found a new identity as citizens of the New Kingdom!
N --- December 21: Now and Not Yet!
The Kingdom of Heaven is here now – but there is more to come!
G --- December 28: Go Now!
As citizens of the New Kingdom, we have been sent to the harvest!
So, here we go!
Let’s pray that God will use this Advent Season to shape us as disciples for life in the New Kingdom. We will journey together through the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and be drawn into the expectancy of Israel in anticipation of a new King. We will travel both back and forward in time as we navigate from our time to Isaiah’s time to the birth of The King in Bethlehem. We will hear the voice of our King as He challenges us to learn how to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. We will embrace our calling to be sent by Him to the fertile fields of our day to share the good news of the Kingdom.
Let’s join our hearts together as we enjoy and embrace a new Christmas Season: a season of hope, love, joy, and peace. Let’s join the Wise Men and Women of the ages and bring ourselves before the King to worship Him!
Merry Christmas!
ADVENT 2025: The King!
November 30 – December 31, 2025
Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
Matthew 2:2
November 30, 2025: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus!
First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 11
In 1744, Charles Wesley wrote the lyrics to this now popular Advent Hymn. At the time, Wesley was preaching across England with his more famous brother, John. Charles captured the essence of prophetic pronouncements like Isaiah 11 in this majestic and simple hymn. Isaiah foresaw a day when a new King would arise and bring unity to Israel and would draw the nations to the new King as well. We begin the Advent Season with an acknowledgment of the hope offered in the Promised One.
Weekly Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
December 7, 2025: Born The King, Ne’er a Prince!
Second Sunday of Advent Matthew 2:1-12
After the death of Solomon, Israel divided into 2 nations: Israel (also Ephraim) and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. – and only Judah remained. Judah was conquered in 586 B.C. by King Nebuchadnezzar and thousands of Jews were exiled to Babylon. The “Exile” was a season of mourning and self-evaluation for the people of God. When they returned to Jerusalem, they no longer had a king or a real nation to speak of. The Exile altered their identity and intensified their hope for a new king, a Son of David, who would rescue them from all oppressors. Matthew’s birth narrative captures the essence of the fulfillment of this hope. Jesus was born The King!
Weekly Reading: Matthew 1
December 14, 2025: Identity Gift
Third Sunday of Advent Matthew 16:21-28
The original Disciples had so much to learn. They were familiar with the meaning of citizenship in a kingdom. They were all a part of the Kingdom of Imperial Rome. They knew the history of Israel and knew full well about the power of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. They understood the expressions of power that caused those great kingdoms to succeed. However, Jesus was calling them (and is now calling us!) to life in a different kind of kingdom ----- the Kingdom of Heaven. His followers are citizens of this new kingdom, namely a dynamic and spiritual kingdom. He offered them a new identity, a new type of citizenship in this kingdom. Their lives (and ours) would never be the same!
Weekly Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
December 14, 2025 The King - A Family Christmas Celebration
Sunday Evening Worship Ministry Celebration
December 21, 2025: Now and Not Yet!
Fourth Sunday of Advent Matthew 4
The birth, life, ministry, teachings, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all mark the beginning of a new era! The Kingdom of Heaven was established on earth through Jesus—through His presence, His proclamation, and His practices. The Kingdom of Heaven is very different from any earthly kingdom. The launching of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth marks the shift in time from This Present Evil Age to The Age to Come! We now live in the tension of both the Now and the Not Yet. God’s Kingdom has arrived—but it is yet to be fully consummated. And yet, it continues to advance in this old world through the presence, the proclamation, and the practices of His people.
Weekly Reading: Matthew 2
December 24, 2025 Immanuel, God is With Us!
Christmas Eve Matthew 1:18-25
The birth of The King signaled the beginning of the Messianic Era! Matthew calls attention to the fulfillment of prophecies as he recounts the story of Jesus. From His genealogical record (Matthew 1) to His miraculous birth (Matthew 1-2) to His connection to John the Baptist (Matthew 3) to His ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4) ---- throughout the entire Gospel, Matthew proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised One, the fulfillment of the ages, the Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of King David, the Son of God!
December 28, 2025: Go Now!
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus is truly The King. He has established the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. He has called us to live as citizens in this new Kingdom. We are to be salt and light in God’s world. We are to be used by Him to season and bring savor to our communities and neighborhoods. We are to embody the light that pushes back the darkness. We are to bring light to the darkness of our world so that others may find their way to this Kingdom. He has prepared the way before us. The harvest is ready to be reaped. As His workers, He is sending us into the fertile fields. What are we waiting for? Go Now!
Weekly Reading: Matthew 28
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