Second Sunday in Advent (2025)

Advent 2 – IMMINENT ARRIVAL OF THE KING WHO CLEANSES

Matthew 3:1–12

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Advent rarely begins the way we think it will.

We expect soft lights, blue paraments, evergreen wreaths, and the warm glow of candles. But the Gospel throws us somewhere else—outside the city, away from the temple, far from the comforts of home. The Church does not open Advent with shepherds or angels or a manger scene. The Church opens Advent in a barren desert, with a wild prophet shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”

John the Baptist doesn’t ease us gently into Advent. He grabs us by the collar and drags us out to the wilderness—the place God uses for stripping away illusions, exposing sin, and preparing His people to meet Him. Advent begins with a voice in the wilderness because God is about to arrive, and if we are honest, we are not ready.

Today we hear the Advent message God knows we need: Behold—your King is coming, and He comes to cleanse.

I. A Voice in the Wilderness

Matthew tells us, “In those days John the Baptist appeared.” The word carries the sense of suddenness—almost like John bursts onto the scene out of nowhere. Commentaries on Matthew note that Matthew uses the verb—appeared—when God interrupts history in a dramatic way. And John certainly interrupts it.

He is a thunderclap of grace and truth—a voice crying out in the desert, just as Isaiah promised. It is no accident that his pulpit is the wilderness. The wilderness, you see, is the place where God reforms His people: the place of repentance, of new beginnings. One might say that it is the place of nervous anticipation, because the Judge is about to arrive.

The wilderness does something to you. It removes the noise. It reveals how empty your hands are. It forces us to face what we would rather ignore.

And that is exactly where Advent begins—not with sentiment, but with reality. Not with nostalgia, but with repentance.

II. John’s Message: The King Is Near—So Turn!

John’s sermon is one sentence long, but it could not be heavier: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Repent. Turn around. Turn back. Turn away from sin, from self-trust, from spiritual sleep.

This word means a deep, Spirit-wrought change of heart—not an emotional moment, not moral tinkering, not trying harder, but an inner conversion: a turning toward God’s rightful reign.

Why repent? Because the King is near. Not someday. Not eventually. Now.

God is taking control. The King’s arrival is not a fairy tale or a symbol. His arrival is a divine invasion—and John is the herald.

And so John cries, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” Straighten the path. Fill what is low. Bring down what is proud.

Isaiah 11 gives us the identity of the One who is coming: the shoot from Jesse’s stump, full of the Spirit, judging the world with righteousness, defending the poor, slaying wickedness with the breath of His lips.

You don’t prepare for that King with tidy living. You prepare with repentance.

III. The Crowd and the Counterfeit

Matthew says, “Jerusalem and all Judea” flocked to John, confessing their sins, stepping into the waters of baptism. An appropriate response to God’s reign—a readiness to be stripped down, cleansed, forgiven.

But then the camera shifts. The Pharisees and Sadducees arrive, and everything changes. John’s tone sharpens instantly.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”

This is not name-calling; it’s a diagnosis.

They came, but not for repentance. They came to observe, not to confess. They came to evaluate, not to be cleansed.

They had religious pedigree. They had Abraham as their father. They had heritage, history, and habit.

But they did not have repentance.

John exposes their illusion: “Do not think you can say, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ God can raise up children from stones.”

In other words: Nothing substitutes for repentance. Not ancestry. Not membership. Not confirmation. Not reputation. Not morality. Not tradition.

Only a broken and contrite heart prepares the way of the Lord.

And then John delivers one of the most sobering images in Scripture: “The axe is already at the root of the trees.” Not waiting. Already set. Already raised. Already assessing every tree.

It is the Advent reminder we don’t want, but desperately need: We cannot hide behind religion when the Judge is at the door.

IV. The Mightier One Who Comes to Cleanse

John lowers himself and points to Another.

“One is coming after me who is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry His sandals.”

And then John gives the heart of Advent’s hope and warning:

“I baptize with water. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

This is what some call (Gibbs) a “dual baptism:” the Spirit given for the repentant and fire for the unrepentant. It is not two Christs—one kind and one harsh; it is one Christ whose arrival brings both salvation and judgment.

John continues:

“His winnowing fork is in His hand. He will gather His wheat into the barn. He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Jesus is not a sentimental Savior. He is the Judge Isaiah foresaw—the One who sees clearly, judges rightly, and cleanses perfectly.

Yet—here is the Advent miracle— the Judge does not only judge. The Judge saves.

Romans 15 tells us: “The Root of Jesse will appear… and in Him the Gentiles will hope.” “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing.”

Psalm 130 sings: “With the Lord is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.”

The King who comes to cleanse is the Savior who comes to forgive. He is the One who bears the fire so that you may be wheat gathered into God’s barn.

V. Advent Application: Prepare the Way of the Lord

So where does this leave us today?

First, repent where you have grown comfortable. Advent calls you away from excuses, from delayed obedience, from spiritual numbness, from hidden sin. It calls you to confession, to honesty, to humility before God.

Second, receive the King who comes to cleanse. Repentance is not terror—it is invitation. It is the gift of meeting the Judge who covers you with His mercy. It is trusting the One who baptizes with the Spirit—who makes you new from the inside out.

Third, live as people of hope. Romans 15 says God fills His people “with all joy and peace” because the King who comes in judgment is the King who reigns in mercy.

Advent is not the terror of judgment— it is the comfort of cleansing. It is the joy of knowing that the Judge is also your Redeemer.

Conclusion

John’s voice still rings through the centuries:

“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Clear the path. Lay down those things that are getting in the way. Realign your priorities so the Lord has first place. Step out of self-trust and into repentance. Lift up your eyes to the Mightier One who is coming.

Because the King is near. The Judge is righteous. The Savior is merciful. And His cleansing is good.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH — SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Pastor: Let us pray for the Church, the world, and all who long for the cleansing grace of our coming King.

For the Church: That We Hear the Voice in the Wilderness

Pastor: Heavenly Father, You sent John the Baptist as a voice crying in the wilderness, calling Your people to repentance and preparing the way for Christ. Grant that Your Church today would hear this voice anew. Strip away our illusions, expose our sin, and turn our hearts toward Your Son, the Mightier One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Make Your Church ready for the King who comes to cleanse. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For True Repentance in Our Lives

Pastor: Gracious Lord, repentance is Your gift. Humble us where we are proud, awaken us where we have grown sleepy, and bring us to confession where we have hidden our sin. Teach us to rely not on ancestry, membership, reputation, or tradition, but on the mercy of Christ alone. Create in us contrite hearts that prepare the way of the Lord. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For the World: That the King Bring Justice and Peace

Pastor: Righteous Judge, the axe is already at the root, and You see what human eyes overlook. Bring down what is proud, defend the poor and vulnerable, restrain evil, and establish justice among the nations. Let the peaceful reign foretold by Isaiah—the shoot from the stump of Jesse—spread throughout a weary world. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Those Who Suffer, Mourn, or Wait for Deliverance

Pastor: Lord Jesus, You come near to the brokenhearted. Strengthen all who struggle with illness, suffering with cancer, recovering from surgery or injury, or weighed down by chronic pain. Comfort those who mourn, lift those in despair, and give patience to those waiting for relief. Let Your cleansing and healing presence be near to them all. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Our Congregation: That We Bear Fruit in Keeping With Repentance

Pastor: Holy Spirit, make our congregation a place where repentance is welcomed, forgiveness is received, and lives are transformed. Shape our priorities, refine our desires, and align us with the coming Kingdom. Let our lives bear fruit—fruit that glorifies the King who reigns in mercy. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Worthy Reception of the Lord’s Supper

Pastor: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Mightier One who comes to cleanse Your people. As we prepare to receive Your holy body and precious blood, grant us repentant hearts and confident faith. Strip away all self-righteousness, expose what is false within us, and draw us to Your table trusting not in our merit, but in Your mercy. Through this Sacrament, refresh us anew with the Holy Spirit— strengthen the weak, forgive the penitent, gather Your wheat into Your barn, and prepare us for the day when You come again in glory. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Hope as We Await the King’s Arrival

Pastor: God of hope, fill us with joy and peace in believing. As we await the imminent arrival of our cleansing King, strengthen our faith, calm our fears, and fix our eyes on Jesus. Let the Good News be preached to the poor, the weary find rest, and all people know that with You is steadfast love and plentiful redemption. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ, the Coming King who cleanses His people.

Congregation: Amen.