Enjoy our Jesse Tree Challenge for Advent which helps you journey through the Bible from 1st - 25th December and prepare for the birth of Christ.
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit”. Isaiah 11:1.
Welcome to our Jesse Tree Resource for Advent and Christmas from the 1st – 25th December. The Early Church adopted the idea of Jesse Trees to help people link decorating Christmas trees with the events and prophecies leading to Jesus’ birth.
A Jesse Tree depicts the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical figures who were the ancestors of Jesus. Jesse was the father of King David and is looked upon as the first person in the genealogy of Jesus. A Jesse Tree is an artistic and biblical family tree.
How this resource works
Print out the poster and display it in your home where you can see it every day throughout December.
To make it more solid – either put it in a simple A4 frame or glue it to some cardboard, make a cut in the bottom middle (about 1.5 cm), insert some more cardboard into the cut at right angles so that it can stand up on its own.
Follow the Scripture
Each day read the Bible quotation and reflect on the Jesse Tree bauble image.
Journey with Jesse throughout Advent from the 1st to 25th December and prepare for the birth of Christ.
Jesse Tree Symbols Code
1. Creation of the world. Genesis 2:1-23
2. The first sin of Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:1-21
3. Noah’s Ark and the rainbow. Genesis 6:1-22
4. The call of Abraham. Genesis 12:1-20
5. The sacrifice of Isaac and the ram. Genesis 21:1-19
6. Jacob’s dream of angels climbing up and down a ladder. Genesis 28:10-22
7. Joseph’s multi-coloured coat. Genesis 37:1-17
8. Moses and the 10 Commandments. Exodus 20:1-21
9. The call of Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:1-18
10. Samuel anoints David to be the next King. 1 Samuel 16:1-23
11. King Solomon dedicates the Temple in Jerusalem. 1 Kings 8:54-66
12. The prophet Elijah defeats Baal with fire. 1 Kings 18:20-37
13. The symbol of the Messiah as the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:1-7
14. The prophecy of the stump and shoot of Jesse. Isaiah 11:1-10
15. A cross predicting the Suffering Servant. Isaiah 53:1-12
16. Scales of justice as Jesus will reign with justice. Jeremiah 23:1-8
17. The four symbols of the gospel writers as a Lion, Eagle, Man and Ox. Ezekiel 1:4-14
18. The Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary at the Annunciation. Luke 1:26-35
19. Mary greets her cousin Elizabeth at the Visitation. Luke 1:36-45
20. Mary prays and sings ‘The Magnificat’. Luke 1:46-66
21. The rising sun predicts Jesus’ coming in ‘The Benedictus’ said by Zechariah. Luke 1:67-80
22. The Scallop shell symbolises John baptising with water. Mark 1:1-11
23. The Holy couple: Mary and Joseph with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18-25
24. An Angel appears to the Shepherds to lead them to the baby Jesus. Luke 2:1-20
25. Jesus is the born in a stable: the Word made flesh. John 1:1-18
Who was Jesse?
According to the Bible, Jesse was the son of Obed and the grandson of Ruth and Boaz. He lived in Bethlehem in Judah, and was of the Tribe of Judah; he was a farmer, breeder and owner of sheep. Jesse is important in Judaism because he was the father of the most famous King of Israel, David. He is important in Christianity because he is in the Old Testament and is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels.
Why is Jesse floating above the Tree?
The visual representations of the Jesse Tree interpret the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 11:1 which states, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit”. In artwork, Jesse is often shown asleep at the bottom of the picture with a tree growing out of him, representing his lineage and the history of the people leading to the birth of Jesus. Or here we see him floating at the top of the picture as though he is asleep and dreaming of all his descendants until the birth of Christ.
In several Bible references Jesse is identified as the father of David, such as in 1 Samuel, where the prophet Samuel anoints David, and in the gospels of Matthew and Luke in Jesus’ genealogy. Other key verses include Ruth 4:22, 1 Samuel 16:1 and Acts 13:22.
Ruth 4:22:
This verse traces the lineage back to Jesse, stating, “Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.”
1 Samuel 16:1:
The Lord tells Samuel to go to Jesse’s house to anoint a king from among his sons.
1 Samuel 17:58:
David tells Saul, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite”.
1 Chronicles 2:13-16:
This book provides a more detailed genealogy, listing Jesse’s sons, including David.
Matthew 1:6:
This New Testament verse explicitly states, “Jesse the father of David the king” as part of the genealogy of Jesus.
Acts 13:22:
Paul references God’s testimony about David, saying, “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will”.
Jesse Tree Prayer
O Jesse Tree, O Jesse Tree,
Praise be to Christ
and his holy family.
Show us the path of light,
the journey of hope,
the way to God.
O Jesse Tree, O Jesse Tree,
Praise be to Christ
and his holy family.
Give us the patience to wait for his birth.
Give us the grace to help all in need of God’s love.
As we prepare to come to your manger,
inspire our hearts, forgive us our sins,
that we may give glory to you on earth.
Amen.
