The Jesse Tree is the perfect way to contemplate God and His goodness during the Advent season. It helps children better understand the birth of Christ.
It also allows Christians to rediscover their faith and find their purpose apart from their families.
During the Advent season, the Jesse Tree traces back to Jesus’ family history and teaches families about the love of God through Jesus and his ancestors.
This guide will teach you about the tradition of Jesse Tree during Christmas.
What is a Jesse Tree?
The Jesse tree is part of an old-time Christmas tree that took place in the medieval times. This tree is known as an advent tree that retells the story of the birth of Jesus.
The Jesse tree is either a fake or real tree that’s often decorated with various symbols that touch upon the creation of Christ.
Each of the symbols represents significant characters in the gospels and Jewish scriptures.
The Jesse Tree is a prominent figure in the Bible. It was also featured in the story of Adam and Eve.
In addition, Jesus used imagery like branches, trees, and vines in his parables to explain the mystery of faith and power of God.
The name of this tree comes from the Jewish King David.
What Makes it Different From a Christmas Tree?
Nearly everyone puts up a Christmas tree around the holiday season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean all of those people are Christian.
In fact, some are reluctant about incorporating religious figures on Christmas trees.
While the Christmas tree has become an iconic symbol for the Christmas holiday across the globe, it has lost its Christian meaning.
That’s where the Jesse tree comes in. Its name hails from Isaiah 11:1, which is about new beginnings. Roots are not only important on trees, but it reveals to people who they are and where they came from.
This story also reminds Christians who they are and why God is so important. As you celebrate the tradition of Jesse Tree during Christmas, you should take a moment and reflect on your roots grounded in faith.
The Origin of the Jesse Tree
The Jesse tree originated in the Book of Isaiah, which predicts the birth of Jesus. Isaiah tells people that a great ruler will arise from the descendants of King David.
David’s kingdom was divided among those who worshipped God and those who didn’t. This was great news since many of the rulers that took place after David was not as good.
David’s family has been “cut down” through the symbol of a stump. The birth of Jesus indicated new life and new beginnings for a kingdom that strayed from God.
The Tree of Jesse in the Book of Isaiah was the original family tree used during the Advent season. As a result, every Christian’s tree is based on this very tree.
How it Works
The Jesse tree consists of three parts:
- The tree itself
- The decorations or ornaments
- The scripture readings or passages that correlate with each message
Each decoration is used to guide you through the story of Jesus’s birth during Advent in an easy way.
It’s also a great way to teach the story to children as it explains it in an easy to understand manner.
The Jesse tree introduces religious concepts that are central to the Bible and connects the stories to Jesus himself.
Each day in Advent, you hang a new ornament (just like Chrismon) on the tree and read a passage from the Bible.
You should follow the Advent calendar for the particular year. Or, you can start in December to make it easier.
Most Jesse trees come with decorations and a guide to make it easy to follow along.
Why You Should Own a Jesse Tree
A Jesse tree is important for teaching children about Christ’s birth. It also helps to guide them into the season of Advent, which allows you to connect decorating a tree with your love for God.
The tradition of Jesse tree during Christmas teaches you about the journey of God through Christ’s birth and love.
It also connects you with your own journey, which connects you deeper with the scripture that Christ reveals himself through
Learn More With the Help of Video
Main Points About Jesse Tree
- Jesse Tree is a decorative tree used to retell the stories of the bible that led up to the birth of Jesus. From creation to Christmas.
- This tradition started in the medieval times in the form of carvings, tapestries, stained glass windows and illuminated carvings showing Isaiah 11:1.
- Jesse tree represents Jesus’ family tree. With the name taken from Jesse, the father of David.
- Jesse tree helps us connect the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with the event of the birth of Jesus.
- Jesse tree has three primary parts. The three, the symbolic ornaments, and scripture reading that comes with them.
Conclusion
Jesse trees are now used as a form of Advent Calendars adding a special ornament every day of December or every Sunday of Advent.
From the beginning, they were large pictures of trees, carvings or stained glass in churches helping to tell the Christmas Story from the Bible to those who couldn’t read.
The name Jesse Tree comes from Jesse, the Father of Jewish King David and a prophecy in the Bible.
Word Cloud for Jesse Tree
The following is a collection of the most used terms in this article on Jesse Tree. This should help in recalling related terms as used in this article at a later stage for you.
References
- https://www.rca.org/jessetree
- https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/advent/the-jesse-tree
- https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=545
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
