The Coming of Jesus

The Coming of Jesus (According to Matthew)

The Coming of Jesus (According to Matthew)

This December (2011) at Wawasee we’re celebrating Advent and looking at Matthew’s account of Jesus’ first coming as a baby at Christmas.

About Advent

The title “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus which means “coming”. It’s a season during with the Church has historically celebrated the first coming of Jesus Christ and consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The Latin word adventus is a translation of the Greek word, parousia. Parousia is most commonly used in Scripture to refer to Jesus’ second coming, and when the Western Church (particularly German Lutherans) began the celebration of Advent, it was with the second coming of Jesus fully in mind. Just as God’s people waited centuries for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, so believers today have been waiting for centuries for his second coming! Therefore, as we celebrate Advent and Christmas at Wawasee Bible, we delight in Jesus’ first coming as a vulnerable baby and look with great hope and expectation toward his second coming in glory!

Each morning we’ll light a candle on the advent wreath, with a focus on Jesus’ first and second comings. Each candle has historically carried with it a theme.

  1. Candle of Expectation or Hope in Jesus’ coming and what he will accomplish in each of his advents.
  2. Candle of Preparation, reminding us to be ready for his return.
  3. Candle of Joy (this is the pink one), reminding us of the great joy we have in Jesus and that we will have when he comes again!
  4. Candle of Love/Peace, reminding us that Jesus’ advent is entirely an expression of God’s gracious, underserved love toward us.
  5. On Christmas morning we’ll light the center white candle, or the Christ candle. Just like Jesus it is bright and stands in the center, reminding us that our sins—though as scarlet—have been made white as snow by the blood of Jesus! His birth was for his death, and his death for our new birth!


Sermon Audio

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17)

Message #1 of 5 – Why does God include genealogies in the Bible? In Jesus’ family tree are prostitutes, noblemen, cowards, warriors, redeemers, murderers & kings… and Jesus would be Savior of them all. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus loves you, can save you, and will use you to build his Kingdom. (Matthew 1:1-17)

The Birth of Jesus & The Obedience of Joseph

The Birth of Jesus & The Obedience of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

Message #2 of 5 – Matthew writes his gospel to a Jewish audience, and tends to focus on Joseph in his account of Jesus’ first coming. The obedience of Jesus’ adopted dad, Joseph, is a great example for us. He loved his wife Mary well and he was quick to obey God when God spoke to him. God speaks to us primarily through his written Word, and we, like Joseph, need to believe his Word and act upon it, no matter how we feel, because God promises a good result. (Matthew 1:18-25)

The Wise Men, The Fool, and Grace

The Wise Men, The Fool, and Grace (Matthew 2:1-12)

Message #3 of 5 – Jesus would have been a toddler at the time a group of “wise men” from the east showed up at his mother’s door to worship the boy born as King of the Jews. Their journey was costly and the gifts they brought were incredibly valuable. Herod the Great (appointed by Rome to rule in that region as “King of the Jews”) was troubled by their arrival when he learned that a threat to his throne had been born nearby. But Jesus’ mother, Mary, would have experienced their arrival as an incredible expression of God’s grace and steadfast love. (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jesus Our Redeemer

Jesus Our Redeemer (Matthew 2:13-15)

Message #4 of 5 – Sometimes it seems like a weird detail that Jesus, Joseph, and Mary escaped to Egypt to avoid Herod’s insanity in Matthew 2, but the reason was to fulfill prophecy and to identify Jesus with his people. In the original Exodus of the Old Testament God redeemed his people from the captivity of Pharaoh. It all foreshadowed the new exodus where God redeems his people from the captivity of sin by the finished work of Jesus on the cross. (Matthew 2:13-15)


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