Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Tradition of the Jesse Tree

http://www.whychristmas.com/i/hollyl.png The Tradition of the Jesse Tree http://www.whychristmas.com/i/hollyr.png


I am so excited to start my Jesse tree tonight.   I began this tradition last year.  It's a great tool to use to teach small children about the genealogy of Christ and the reason we celebrate Christmas.  I enjoy doing it as a reminder of the saving Grace of my Savior.  

There are so many different ways you can create your Jesse tree.  You can use a traditional Christmas tree, a cutout of green felt, a wooden painted tree or the ideas are limitless.  For all the creative minds anyway.  I have to stick to the simple.  There are lots of resources online for ideas and for ornaments too.  You put an ornament on the tree everyday in December until Christmas (list below).  Each ornament tells the story of the genealogy of Christ.

Jesse Trees are a very old Christmas Tradition and first started in medieval times. They are used to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story.



The name comes from Jesse who was the Father of the great Jewish King David. One prophecy in the bible, in the book of Isaiah, says: 
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV)

A branch is a sign of new life and new beginnings. Jesus was a decedent of King David and Christians believe that Jesus is this new branch.

The first Jesse trees were large carvings, tapestries or even stained glass windows put in Churches that helped illiterate people (people who can't read or write) to learn about the bible from creation to the Christmas Story. But now Jesse Trees are used as a kind of Advent Calendar. You can use a normal Christmas tree or a banner in the shape of a tree. Each day through advent (or sometimes just on the four Sundays of advent) a special decoration or ornament (similar to a Chrismon), that tells a story from the Bible, is hung on the tree.

There are very many different stories and symbols you can use. I've listed 25 stories and symbols that I especially like!


Bible Story:                                            Where it is in the Bible:           Symbol:
Creation                                                   Genesis 1                                    The earth
Adam and Eve /Garden of Eden             Genesis 2:4 - 3:24                       A tree with fruit or an apple
Noah & the Flood                                   Genesis 6:9 - 9:17                       A rainbow
God's promise to Abraham                     Genesis 12:1-7 & 15:1-6             A tent
Isaac                                                        Genesis 22:1-18                          A ram
Jacob's Ladder                                         Genesis 28:10-19                        A ladder
Joseph's Coat                                           Genesis 37 & 50                         A multicoloured coat or robe
Moses                                                      Exodus 2:1 - 4:20                        A burning bush
Israelites and the Passover                      Exodus 12:1-42                           A lamb
The 10 Commandments                          Exodus 19:1 - 20:20                    Two stone tablets
Joshua and the fall of Jericho                 Joshua 6:1-20                               A ram's horn trumpet
Ruth                                                        Ruth (Whole Book)                      A sheaf of corn
King David                                             1 Samuel 16:1-3                          A six pointed 'Star of David'
Solomon's Temple                                  1 Kings 6                                    The temple
Elijah and Baal's Priests                         1 Kings 18:16-39                         A bonfire
Isaiah's 'Jesse' Prophecy                          Isaiah 11:1-11                  tree stump with a single branch growing from it
Jonah and the Whale                               Jonah (Whole Book)                   A whale
John the Baptist                                       Matthew 3:13-17                         A scallop shell
Mary                                                        Luke 1:26-38                               A white lily
Elizabeth                                                   Luke 1:39-56                                     A mother and child Zechariah                                                 Luke 1:57-80                                     A pencil and tablet
Joseph                                                      Matthew 1:19-25                            A carpenter's hammer
The Shepherds                                         Luke 2:8-20                                       A fluffy sheep!
The Wisemen                                           Matthew 2:1-12     gold star or the three gifts or three crowns
Jesus                                                         Luke 2:1-8                                A baby in a manger












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