Tree of Jesse
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”
Isaiah 11:1
This post is a little different. I ran across something that I wanted to share. I am writing this the week after Thanksgiving. This time of year, always causes me to start focusing on Christmas just like everybody else. One day while killing time looking online, I ran across something I had never heard of. I am not sure how popular this is so I am not sure if I should feel ashamed for having never seen this or not. It is called the ‘Tree of Jesse’.
According to Wikipedia and other sources, the Tree of Jesse is an idea started in medieval Christian art to depict the lineage of Christ throughout the Bible starting with Adam and Eve. The idea is based on the scripture quoted above from Isaiah. In chapter 11, Isaiah was prophesying of the coming of the Messiah. He started by saying that the Messiah would come in the line of Jesse. So, essentially the Tree of Jesse is the family tree of Jesus that is told through the Bible leading up to His earthly birth.
So why is this important? Why did it peak my interest? The importance of this is that it is further evidence of who Christ is. It proved to be a fulfilled prophecy. Not only fulfilling Isaiah chapter 11 but also Genesis 15:1. God promised a Messiah to mankind in the very beginning, as soon as Adam and Eve sinned. The biggest problem for the Jewish people through history is that they missed who Jesus is. They rejected Him. God gave us almost unlimited prophecies to help us to understand and know Jesus. This Tree of Jesse is another inspired way that we can know and recognize Jesus. I am always interested in seeing the way God attends to the smallest details in His plan of salvation. He left nothing out. Nothing to chance. No loopholes. I love that. When I receive a gift from someone that it is obvious, they put a lot of thought and effort into it, it means the world to me. It let’s me know just how special I am to them.
My interest was further peaked as I have found where people have started using the Tree of Jesse as the basis of an advent calendar. You can make a small Christmas ornament that represents each character in the tree and hang them on a small Christmas tree. It is a great way to tell about the biblical trail of God’s plan of salvation to children from Adam all the way to the birth of Jesus. It is such a unique and interesting way to share the Gospel with your kids, family, and friends.
This time of year, we let a lot of things grab our attention. Shopping, sales, parties, food, presents, Santa Claus, and even family take our attention and focus away from what this time of year should be about. This time of year, should be about Jesus and the price He paid for us over 2000 years ago. Actually, our focus should be on Jesus daily if we are just being honest. So, anything that helps us keep the focus where it is supposed to be and help us share the Gospel with others is an awesome thing. I encourage you to go online and research the Tree of Jesse. There are numerous books and craft projects associated with it to help you get creative in sharing the Gospel.