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Advent - The Jesse Tree |
The Jesse Tree
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s’ tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
What is a Jesse Tree? It is a small, leafless tree decorated with symbols portraying Jesus’ spiritual heritage. It is a kind of family tree which was suggested by Isaiah’s prophecy: "there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots."
Jesse was the father of King David. King David is one of Jesus’ ancestors. The prophet Samuel to establish a royal family anointed David King. A thousand years later Jesus was born in this royal line of David in Bethlehem, the ancient of City of David.The Jesse Tree is composed of ornaments which remind us of the promise of salvation made by God at the fall of Adam and Eve and the ancestors of Jesus from Adam to Our Lady and events in salvation history. They also remind us of the Jewish symbols and types of Christ and the Church.
The Jesse Tree represents the 4000 years of salvation history when God prepared His people, the Jews, for the coming of the Savior. This is the theme of the 4 weeks of Advent.
Because the Jews were unable to be in the state of grace since Jesus had not yet died on the cross, the branch for the Jesse Tree is a dead one without any green leaves. This symbolizes especially well for children, the fact that the soul is dead without God’s sanctifying grace. The Jews could only be saved by believing in the Redeemer to come and obeying the Law of the Commandments and the Prophets. Male Jews were commanded by God to be circumcised thus symbolizing their desire to be baptized into the saving Blood of the Divine Redeemer to come.
For 4000 years, the Jews lived in anticipation of the Savior. But no man had the indwelling of the Triune God in sanctifying grace. Only Baptism into the Body of Christ would one day bring that great gift to men from the death of Jesus on the Cross.
How do you make a Jesse tree? You can choose a shapely tree branch devoid of leaves and place it in a pot of earth and cover the pot with bright paper.
For a table size Jesse Tree that can be the family meal-table centerpiece for the entire season of Advent, one can purchase an inexpensive plastic "Easter Tree" which is so popular and upon which, in the spring are hung miniature Easter eggs and other trinkets. This plastic Easter egg tree can be purchased at "Maid of Scandinavia" division of "Sweet Celebrations" or any specialty cooking store and other variety holiday stores. To contact the Edina, MN Warehouse and Office write to:
Sweet Celebrations, d/b/a Maid of Scandinavia
7009 Washington Ave. S.
Edina, MN 55439
(612) 943-1661
The Jesse Tree ornaments featured in this article will fit onto such a plastic Easter egg tree very nicely.
Go to the symbols show under Jesse Tree Ornament/Symbols . Down-load them and cut them out. Color them with magic markers. Glue them to cardboard backing for durability. Punch a small whole into the top of the ornament and insert and tie a bit of purple thread in order to be able to hang the ornament on the branches of the Jesse Tree. Keep the ornaments in an envelope for easy location each evening.
There is a symbol for each day’s Bible reading –29 in all. You have to double-up hanging some of the symbols depending on how many days are in Advent each year. On the First Sunday in Advent, start hanging the ornaments at the very bottom of the Jesse Tree, at the base. On Christmas Day the last ornament is placed at the very top of the tree. With careful trimming, you will have a Jesse Tree which is an invaluable tool to teach an overview of the 4000 years of salvation history to young and old alike.
Children love to take turns each evening, after supper is finished, hanging the day’s ornament(s) and then hearing dad read aloud the appropriate Scriptural reading and explanation of the symbol.
Jesse Tree Ornament
Symbols and
Appropriate Scriptural Reading
The symbols below will be presented in the order they are to be hung on the Jesse Tree, starting on the first Sunday of Advent and ending on Christmas Day.
To access pictures of the ornaments, click here!
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The Jesse Tree (tree with ornaments) … 1 Samuel 16:1-13
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The Birth of Life (the world with tree) … Genesis 1: 24-28
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Adam and Eve (snake around the apple)... Genesis 3: 1-24
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Noah and the Flood (ark) …………… Genesis 6: 11-22; 8:6-12
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Father Abraham (tent and camel)………Genesis 12:1-7; 13:2-18
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Isaac and the Ram –Agnus Dei…………Genesis 22;1-14
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Jacob and His Dream (Jacob’s Ladder)….Genesis 27;41 – 28:22
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Symbol of Prophecy (Advent Rose)…… Isaiah 9:2-7
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Joseph and His Coat (coat)…………… Genesis 37: 1-36
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Moses and the Ten Commandments……Exodus 20: 1-17
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The Blessing of Aaron (benediction)……Numbers 6:22-27
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Samuel and the Word of the Lord (lamp)…1 Samuel 3:1-21
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David (harp)……………………………1 Samuel 16:14-23
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Symbol of Shepherds (candle and staff)……Psalm 23
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The Wisdom of Solomon (crown)…………1 Kings 3:3-28
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Elijah and the Raven………………………1 Kings 17:1-16
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Elisha and healing (dove and hand)………2 Kings 5:1-27
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Isaiah (scroll and candle)…………………Isaiah 6:1-8
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Jeremiah (God’s word)…………………Jeremiah 31:31-34
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Nehemiah the Builder (church)…………Nehemiah 13:10-22
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Angels (angel with candle)……………Hebrews 1:1-14
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Zechariah and Elizabeth (altar)…………Luke 1:5-25
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Virgin Mary (lily)………………………Luke 1:26-38
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Magnificat (Mary kneeling)…………....Luke 1:39-56
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Birth of John the Baptist (Baptismal font)…Luke 1: 57-80
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Joseph of Nazareth (carpenters tools)……Matt. 1:18-25
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Symbol of Bethlehem (candle and star).......Matt. 2:1-12
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The Birth of Jesus (Madonna and child)……Luke 2:1-20
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Christ Our Lord (Chi Rho symbol)………John 1:1-18
