What is the Advent Jesse Tree?
I had never heard of The Jesse Tree until I married my husband. When my mother-in-law asked me if I wanted to do a Jesse Tree with the children, I had no idea what she was talking about! Even though I was a Christian and came from a Christian home, we did not focus on Jesus when I was a child! It was ALL about Santa and presents. We did have a Christmas play at church and we did do things for others, but our focus was not on the birth as it is in my home today. When I told my mother-in-law I had never heard of a Jesse Tree, she made me a copy of the devotional book and gave me the box of ornaments my husband and his brothers and sister used when they were children celebrating Christmas each year. We have been doing the Jesse Tree or a modified version for about 10 years now! My children love it and beg to do it each year!
The word Advent means “coming” and refers to the coming of Jesus. The Advent Jesse Tree emphasizes HIS coming in the flesh at Bethlehem now more than 2000 years ago. It tells the story of God’s redemptive plan for the world through 25 symbols of the Old and New Testament. The symbols trace the heritage and linage of Jesus from the beginning of Creation. Each symbol is explained with scriptures, stories, songs, etc. We also choose ornaments which coincide with the symbols given for each story. Some of the ornaments are purchased and some are hand made. The book gives suggestions for each ornament.
Symbols or Ornaments for the Advent Jesse Tree
- globe or picture of earth
- an apple with snake wrapped around it
- an ark with a rainbow
- a camel and a tent
- a lamb
- a ladder
- a colorful coat
- a tablet with ten numbers
- a cluster of grapes
- a sheaf of wheat
- a sling shot
- a scroll or bible
- a stump with fresh shoot or green leaf
- a lion and a lamb
- a dove and a crown
- a lamb and a shepherd’s staff
- a cross
- a heart with writing on it
- a Bethlehem town silhouette with star
- a fiery furnace
- a brick wall
- a star
- a candle or light
- an angel
- a baby in a manger or a nativity scene
- Day One The Light in Creation
Memory Verse: Genesis 1:1
Hymns to sing: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, All Things Bright and Beautiful, How Great Thou Art, This Is My Father’s World
Scriptures: Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-4
Devotion: As children if they saw anything wonderful today or anytime recently. Discuss the wonder of creation. Show symbol. Explain how before the beginning, there was no world and it was as dark as night. Emphasize that God was there and that Jesus was there too and is our light. God made everything including plants and animals. He also made a man, Adam, and a woman, Eve. HE looked at what he had created and thought it was all VERY GOOD!
- Day Two The First Sin
Memory Verse: Isaiah 53:6
Hymns to Sing: Jesus Loves Me, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Just As I Am
Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-10, 23; Isaiah 53:6
Devotion: God saw everything that was good when he first made the world, but now there are bad things. Ask children to name some bad things. Ask children if they know how bad things got into God’s beautiful world. Tell them it was because of sin and read story in Genesis 3 of the First Sin. You may have to explain to younger children that sin is not doing what God wants you to do. Ask if they know who Satan is. One of his names is the Devil. Explain how Satan hates God and wants everyone else to hate God too. Explain how Satan set out to make Adam and Eve disobey God. Show symbol and ask if they know how Satan deceived them. Explain the story of how Eve took of the fruit God had commanded her not to touch and how she shared with Adam. Discuss how Adam and Even disobeyed God which caused them to be sinners. Explain how they were send out of the garden and would eventually die.
The only way to get back to God was to take sin away. God found a way for us to come back to him through Jesus. Jesus would come to take our sin away and bring us back to God. Explain how much God loves us!
- Day Three The Ark
Memory Verse:Romans 6:23
Hymns to Sing: Arky, Arky, Standing on the Promises
Scriptures: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:17-23; 9:16; Romans 6:23
Devotion: Explain how sin got worse after Adam and Eve sinned. There were many people who did not love God. God was very unhappy. Read Story of Noah and explain how God decided to destroy the world with a great flood. He used Noah who was the only man who followed God’s ways to build an ark. Everyone had a chance to live on the ark, but only Noah and his family were saved. Ask if they think they should be punished if they sin and read Romans 6:23. Remind children of the promise God made to Noah and tell them God keeps his promise. Remind them of the promise to give us life forever in Jesus.
- Day Four Abram
Memory Verse: Genesis 12:3
Hymns to Sing: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, Trust and Obey, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-7
Devotion: Talk about what a camel and a tent makes them think of (travelling a lot). Tell them about Abraham and how God loved him and told him to leave his country and go to another country he had never seen before. Talk about Abraham’s faith and trust in God. Read the story of Abraham and the memory verse. Discuss how wonderful it is Abraham obeyed God because it was through him that Jesus was born.
- Day Five Isaac and the Lamb
Memory Verse: John 1:29
Hymns to Sing: Blessed Be the Name, My Faith Looks up to Thee, Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Scriptures: Genesis 22:1-13; John 1:29
Thought for the Day: Poem by Christina Rossetti
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would give him a lamb
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part-
But, what can I give Him. Give Him my heart!
Question to Ponder: Is Jesus Your Lamb
Devotion: Tell about how God promised Abraham a big family and gave him a son Isaac. Talk about how God asked Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain and kill him. Emphasize Abraham’s trust in God and God providing a lamb in place of Isaac.
ASK children: Do you know who our lamb is? (Jesus) Read John 1:29 again. Talk about how Jesus had NO sin at all, but he placed our sins on Himself and died for us! Just as the lamb took Isaac’s place.
These are days 1-5. I will post more later this week to get you through next week! Be creative! Use your own ideas and resources! Sometimes we do color pages and other crafts. There are tons of free ideas online!
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