Advent Activity - The Jesse Tree

University of Dayton ^ | November 2002 | Rev. Johann G. Roten

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The Jesse Tree
Rev. Johann G. Roten, SM

Sometimes called the root of Jesse or radix Jesse in Latin, the Jesse tree is a visual representation of Jesus' genealogy which dates back to the father of David who was Jesse.  The biblical references used habitually to establish Christ's descent from David are the following:

• Isaiah 6,14; 11,1; 53,2
• Num 24,17
• Mat 1,1-16
• Lk 3,23-38
• Rev 22,16

In sacred art Mary is also depicted as part of Christ's family tree named after Jesse.

The Fathers of the Church and Latin hymns refer to the tree of Jesse not only when speaking about the line of David (radix Jesse) but also when speaking of Mary (virga ex radice = branch or offshoot of the root of Jesse) and Jesus (flos ex virga = flower that blossoms on the branch).  Based on these literary sources, the visual rendering of the Jesse tree shows Jesse in reclined and slumbering position, a tree growing out of his body on whose branches a changing and diverse group of ancestors can be observed.

The tree which is patterned after the tree of life in paradise and the cross as the definitive tree of life habitually shows a series of kings of the Solomonic line, or prophets and evangelists.  The top of the tree is composed of Mary, Jesus and angels, sometimes with reference to the gifts of the Spirit.  But variations are frequent. The artistic motif of the Jesse tree is known beginning in the 11th century and seems to have disappeared in the 16th century.  During the time of bloom it found many and diversified ways of realization from illuminations to bronze doors (for example, St. Zeno, Verona).  The example here presented is taken from a psalter of the 13th century, the so-called Ingeborg Psalter (1210) conserved today in Chantilly, Paris.

The tree is highly stylized and of sophisticated ornamentation.  Jesse is lying on his bed more pensive than slumbering.  He wears the typical Jewish hat.  From the mid-section of his body or rather behind it, the trunk of the tree rises to a height of four levels or tiers each once of them in the shape of a chalice.

They show in ascending order [from left to right] Abraham, David, Mary and Jesus Christ.  It is the royal line.  For this reason all figures except Christ wear crowns.

Abraham	David	Mary	Jesus Christ

They are flanked by Old testament figures on both sides.  We have on the left: Malachi standing next to Jesse followed by Daniel and Isaiah in ascending order.

Malachi	Daniel	Isaiah

To the right of Jesse we have Aaron, Ezekiel, and an exception to the group of prophets, a feminine figure which represents the Sybil of Cumae.

Aaron	Ezekiel	Sybil of Cumae

These figures are in all likelihood characters taken from a mystery play, the so called mystery of Rouen.  They present, with the exception of Aaron who is designated as high priest and holds the blooming staff, open scrolls with part of their vision about the coming Savior (not necessarily corresponding to the exact Scripture quote).  The Cumaean Sybil reminds the reader of the finiteness of all creation.  Ezekiel speaks about the closed door (reference to Mary's virginity) through which God alone will proceed.  Malachi proclaims the grandeur of God's name, whereas Daniel in his visions of the four beasts celebrates God's definitive victory over evil.  Isaiah announces the rule of Immanuel.  The dove next to the prophet's head indicates the presence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ, who is enthroned at the top of the tree which, in fact, is not a tree but an edifice symbolizing the house of David, rules as the Pantokrator both blessing (right hand) and judging (book in the left hand).  He is surrounded by two worshiping angels and the seven doves, symbols of the seven gifts of the Spirit: "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11,2-3).

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For a family activity!

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Thanks for the link!

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JESSE TREE

During Advent, biblical persons representing the ancestors of Jesus, either in faith or bloodline, are gradually added onto a tree or branch, named after the father of David,. The symbols such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesse, David, Solomon, Joseph and Mary can be drawn, cut out or purchased.

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A Symbolic Jesse Tree

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A Symbolic Jesse Tree

by Catherine Fournier

"But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom" (Is 11:1) This ancient Old Testament quotation refers to one of Christ's ancestors. There are two versions of the Jesse Tree. One uses a Scripture reading for each day of the Advent season, representing each reading with an illustrated disk hung on a 'tree' shape. For a description of this type of Jesse tree, click here.

This Jesse tree is an abbreviated version which uses only a few illustrations to represent the genealogy and symbolism of the coming of Christ. Each illustration in this Jesse tree is a symbol for some aspect of the Messianic prophecies. Choose which symbols and names your family thinks best symbolize the story of Jesus, or use the suggestions below, which come from the EWTN web site.

The Sun:

Just as the natural sun gives light and life to all upon whom its rays fall so Christ, the Rising Dawn, dispels darkness and brings eternal life and light.

The Tablets of the Law:

The Law of Moses as symbolized in the tablets which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai was fulfilled in Christ Who brings a law of love.

The Key of David:

The key is the emblem of authority and power. Christ is the Key of the House of David Who opens to us the full meaning of the scriptural prophecies, and reopens for all mankind the gate of Heaven.

Bethlehem:

Seven hundred years before Christ's birth, Micheas prophesied that the Savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem, which means "House of Bread," was appropriately designated as the birthplace of Christ, the Bread from Heaven.

The Root of Jesse:

The flower which springs up from the root of Jesse is another figure of Christ. Isaiah prophesied that the Savior would be born from the root of Jesse, that He would sit upon the throne of David, and in Christ this prophecy is fulfilled.

The Star of David:

The six-pointed star is the emblem of the Royal House of David even to this day. Christ Who is born of the House of David, can truly claim this emblem as His own.

Jacob's Ladder:

In a vision, Jacob saw a ladder reaching from heaven to earth, with angels descending and ascending. Christ, the Incarnate God, is the Ladder reuniting earth to heaven, mankind to God.

Jonas in the Whale:

As Jonas remained in the whale three days, so Christ remained three days in the earth after His death.

The Temple:

The Temple was God's dwelling place among the Jews of the Old Testament. His new Presence is within us.

The Crown and Sceptre:

The crown and sceptre signify Christ's universal kingship. As we sing in the fifth O Antiphon, Christ is not only the King of the Jewish nation, but the "Desired One of all," the cornerstone which unites both Jew and Gentile.

The Sword of Judith:

Judith of the Old Testament, who killed with a sword the leader of the Assyrian army, saved the Israelite nation. She prefigured Mary whose "Fiat" brought salvation to all mankind.

The Burning Bush:

God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush, which burned but was not consumed, a symbol of the Virgin Birth of Christ.

Noah's Ark:

A savior, Noah preserved the natural life of all within the Ark; Christ brings supernatural life to mankind and preserves that life within His Mystical Body the Church.

The Ark of the Covenant:

We address Mary as the Ark of the Covenant because she, like the Ark of the Old Testament, contained the most precious Gift of the New Law

The Altar of Holocaust:

Sacrifice was offered daily on the Jewish altar of holocaust--a type of the Christian altar and the daily sacrifice of the Mass.

The Apple:

"O Happy Fault, whereby we have merited so great a Redeemer."

The Paschal Lamb:

At the yearly Pasch, the Jews sacrificed a new, unblemished lamb in thanksgiving for all that God had done for them and as an atonement offering for all their sins. This sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb was fulfilled in Christ, the "Lamb who takes away the sins of the world."

The Pillar of Fire:

In the Old Testament, God appeared in a pillar of fire to lead His people through the desert, as Christ leads us through the desert of life.

Manna:

The manna which the Jews ate in the desert for forty years was a symbol of Christ, the true Bread which descended from heaven.

Whichever version you and your family decide to use, the Jesse Tree is a powerful means of bringing the hope and expectation of the prophecies to your home and family.

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Stories of Advent—Making Your Jesse Tree

Person Scripture Symbol
Adam and Eve Genesis 3:1-24 an apple
Noah Genesis 6:11—9:17 (or 8:21—9:17) ark or rainbow
(or Genesis 6:5-9, 7:7-16, 8:13-17, 9:12-16)
Abraham and Sarah Genesis 12:1-7, 15:1-6 camel, tent or star
Isaac Genesis 22:1-19 ram
Rebecca Genesis 25:19-34; and 27 a well
Jacob Genesis 28:10-22 or 32: 25-31 a ladder
Rachel and Leah Genesis 29:15-30 a veil
Joseph Genesis 37:3-4 and 17-36; 50:15-21 coat of many colors
(or Genesis 37:1—45:28)
Moses Exodus 3:1-15 bush
Exodus 20:1-21 Ten Commandments (tablets)
Rahab Joshua 2:1-21 rope
Joshua Joshua 6:1-20 trumpet
Deborah Judges 4:1-16 palm tree or tent peg & mallet
Gideon Judges 7:1-8, 15-20 torch
Samson Judges 13:1-5; 15:14-17 jawbone
Ruth Ruth chapters 1—4 anchor (for faithfulness) or
grains of wheat
Hannah 1 Samuel 1:1-20, 24-28; 2:18-20 small robe
Samuel 1 Samuel 3:1-19; 16:1-13 oil
David 1 Samuel 16:1-16 stringed instrument or
slingshot or crown (for king)
Solomon 1 Kings 3:4-15 crown or scepter
Elijah 1 Kings 19:3-13; 2 Kings 2:1-5, 9-13 chariot
Jonah Jonah 1:1-17; 2:10; 3:1-3 whale
Isaiah Isaiah 9:1-6 and 11:1-9 branch or lion and lamb
Ezekiel Ezekiel 37:1-14 and 24-28 bones
Esther Esther 2:17-18; 3:8-15; 4:7-16; 7:10 crown
Daniel Daniel 1:1-4; 6:1-28; 7:13-14 lion
Malachi Malachi 4:1-6 sun
Elizabeth Luke 1:5-25 a home, angel, temple or altar
John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80 shell and water or a reed
Joseph Matthew 1:18-25 hammer or saw
Mary Luke 1:26-38, 39-56 lily
Luke 2:1-14 manger

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Introduce the Jesse Tree Activity

Many of us have photographs of parents, grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, and great-grandparents. Some we actually knew, many we know only through stories. People who make up our family tree hold a fascination for us.

So, too, the people who make up our family of faith tell us much about who we are and how we are related to God. As Christians we are part of the extended family of Jesus of Nazareth. His family tree is the story of salvation history, the story of a people chosen, spared and redeemed by God.

Matthew’s genealogy (Mt 1:1-17), which we hear at Christmastime each year, tells us that Jesus was the son of David, Israel’s greatest king, and back even further, the son of Abraham, the first patriarch of the Hebrew people, the first person called by God. Out of this family line, God would take flesh and live among the people of earth.

From medieval times, Christians have been fascinated with visual representations of the family tree of Jesus. A stained glass window at Chartres Cathedral in France, built in the early 13th century, depicts a Jesus tree, representing the family tree of Jesse, the father of King David, that blossoms in the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the “Son of David.” This ancient tradition of the Jesse tree was revived in the mid-20th century as an Advent practice.
(From The Jesse Tree by Diane Houdek. Catholic Update, November 1977, C1197)

Continue with…

The Jesse tree represents Jesus’ family tree. The name is taken from Isaiah 11:1, in which Jesus is referred to as a shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse, the father of David. The ornaments on the Jesse tree tell of Jesus’ ancestors, and of the events leading to Jesus’ birth. While it is hard to establish when and where the custom of the Jesse tree began, it most likely started in the Middle Ages as a way to teach Bibles stories. A Jesse tree is a bare branch that holds symbols of people from the Old Testament who waited and prepared for Jesus. Tradition has it that the love and preparation given the Jesse Tree would make flowers burst forth from the branch. This is why a bare branch, rather than an evergreen, is used.

Roots are important parts of a tree. As people, we need to know our roots, as well. Often, we run from one thing to another without reflecting on where we have been or where we are going. As we create a Jesse tree during this Advent season, let us pause and look at the great people of faith upon whose shoulders we stand.

To give the group a sense of Jesus’ family tree, read the genealogy of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1:1-17. (Do your best with all the names.) Make the connection between the Jesse Tree activity and the genealogy of Jesus. Note how many of the people in the genealogy are included on the handout, Stories of Advent—Making Your Jesse Tree.

Activity Option: Your Family Tree
To illustrate what a genealogy looks like, consider drawing your own family tree on a sheet of newsprint or poster board and presenting it to the group at this time.

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Family Activity Ping!

Please notify me via Freepmail if you would like to be added to or removed from the Family Activity Ping list.

[GatorGirl]

Thank you, Salvation! I have to go get my Advent candles today. I think I'll pick up some Sculpey too and spend the afternoon with my kids creating Jesse Tree ornaments. What a wonderful opportunity to expand on the season of Advent! GG

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It is a neat idea, isn't it?

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Ping to some Christmas symbols.

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Advent Reflections for All -- 2003

The Advent Calendar

The Advent Wreath

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I was going to start a new thread about The Jesse Tree, but there is so much information here too!

So I will just add to it!

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Getting a little bit of a late start here for 2005, my apologies.

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CREATION November 27 Symbols: Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth During this Advent season we review our salvation history, meditating on God's promise of a Savior. We begin with Creation, the birth of life, beginning of time. In the creation of world and man, God gave the first and universal witness to His almighty love and His wisdom, the first proclamation of the "plan of His loving goodness," which finds its goal in the new creation of Christ. Recommended Readings: Genesis 1-2

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The Jesse Tree

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ADAM AND EVE November 28 Symbols: Tree, Man and Woman Adam and Eve are the first ancestors of the human race. Christ is called the "second" or "new Adam" because He ushered in the new creation by forgiving sin and restoring humanity to the grace of God's friendship lost by original sin. Mary, because she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, is called the "new Eve," the "mother of the living" in the order of grace. Recommended Readings: Genesis 2:7-9; 18-24

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FALL OF MAN November 29 Symbols: Tree with Fruit or Apple The parents of the human race, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God's command in the Garden of Eden, thereby commiting the original sin, resulting in the closing of the gates of Heaven to mankind. Even after this sin, man was not abandoned by God. God promises a Messiah and Redeemer: "I will put emnity between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel (Gen 3:14)." He tells us of a "New Adam" who will have victory over sin. This victory of Christ has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken from us. God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good: "O Happy Fault, whereby we have merited so great a Redeemer (Exsultet)." Recommended Readings: Genesis 3:1-7, 9, 14-29, 23-24

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NOAH November 30 Symbols: Animals, Dove, Rainbow When Noah finally left the Ark and settled on dry land, he built an altar to worship the Lord who had saved him. God placed a rainbow in the sky as token of his resolve to never visit such a disaster over the face of the earth again. Noah was a savior, preserving the natural life of all within the Ark; Christ bring supernatural life to mankind and preserves that life within His Mystical Body, the Church. Recommended Readings: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:11-16; 8:15-16; 9:12-13

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ABRAHAM December 1 Symbols: Torch, Sword, Mountain, Tent, Stars Abraham is our father in faith. He is the man of faith and patriarch of Israel with whom God made a covenant which promised him land in which to live and many descendants, a great people for whom the Lord would be their God. Through Abraham God formed the people to whom he would later give the law by revelation through Moses. With the advent of Christ, the people of Israel would serve as the root to which the Gentiles would be grafted by their coming to believe. Recommended Readings: Genesis 12:2-3; 17:4-6

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ISAAC December 2 Symbols: Bundle of Wood, Ram And Isaac was a great type, or symbol of Christ. Both carried up a mount the wood on which they were to be sacrificed. Isaac was the only son of Abraham, Christ was the only begotten son of God. The altar with the slain lamb is a prefigurement of the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Recommended Readings: Genesis 22:1-2, 6-13, 15-19

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JACOB December 3 Symbols: Ladder In a vision, Jacob (son of Isaac) saw a ladder reaching from heaven to earth, with angels descending and ascending. Christ, the Incarnate God, is the Ladder reuniting earth to heaven, mankind to God. Recommended Readings: Genesis 28:12-13

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JOSEPH December 4 Symbols: Coat of many Colors, Sheaf, Silver Coins Joseph's brothers were furious that their father favored their younger brother above all of them, and when Jacob gave Joseph an expensive, many-colored coat, they conspired against him. Like Christ, Joseph was sold for silver, but the hand of God led him to become a leader of the nation of Egypt. Later, his brothers, leaders of the Chosen People after their father Jacob, came to Egypt and settled under his rule. The many-colored coat has become the symbol of Joseph, since it was so instrumental in his life. Recommended Readings: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-24, 28; 45:3-13

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MOSES December 5 Symbols: Baby in Basket, Stone Tablets, Burning Bush Moses led the Israelites, the Chosen people, out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Later, he received the Ten Commandments from the hand of God on Mount Sinai. God appeared to Moses in the form of a bush, which burned but was not consumed, a symbol of the Virgin Birth of Christ. The Law of Moses as symbolized in the tablets which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, was fulfilled in Christ who brings a law of love. Recommended Readings: Exodus 31:16-18; 3:2-5

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SAMUEL December 6 Symbols: Lamp, Temple The lamp is a symbol for the Word of God, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet." (Psalm 119:105) Samuel became a prophet, the light of God to His people. Recommended Readings: 1 Kings 3:2-4

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JESSE December 7 Symbols: Crimson Robe, Shepherd's Staff The purple robe is a symbol of royalty and is used for Jesse because he was the father of King David. Jesse was the ancestor of many kings, most importantly the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Recommended Readings: 1 Kings 16:1, 4-5, 11-13

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MARY December 8 Symbols: Lily, Crown of Stars On this holyday of obligation, the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an event that heralds God's choice of Mary to be the Mother of the Redeemer. The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from any stain of sin, including original sin, from the moment of her conception in her mother's (St. Anne) womb. The Virgin Mary, chosen Mother of the Redeemer, is robed in the splendor of her stainless innocence, and clothed with the beauty of one redeemed in Christ and prepared to receive Him in her womb. Recommended Readings: Revelation 12; Song 4:7

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KING DAVID December 9 Symbols: Six-Pointed Star, Slingshot and 4 Stone, Harp, Crown The six-pointed star is the emblem of the Royal House of David even to this day. Christ, who is born of the House of David, can truly claim this emblem as His own. The crown and scepter signify Christ's universal kingship. Christ is not only the King of the Jewish nation, but the "Desired One of all," the cornerstone which unites both Jew and Gentile. Recommended Readings: 2 Kings 5:3-4; 2:1-7

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KING SOLOMON December 10 Symbols: Scale of Justice, Temple, Crown Solomon is honored in Scripture as the wisest monarch. Though he used a real sword to make his point, he used his wisdom, the sword of justice, to divide truth from lies. God foretold that David's son and heir, Solomon, would be the one to build a temple to the Lord God. Solomon did in fact complete the construction of the temple during his reign. Recommended Readings: 3 Kings 3:23-28; 3 Kings 5:5

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JONAH December 11 Symbols: Whale And Jonah began to enter into the city after one day's journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. As Jonah remained in the whale three days, so Christ remained three days in the earth after His death. Recommended Readings: Jonah 1:11-15

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JUDITH December 12 Symbols: Scale of Justice, Temple, Crown Judith of the Old Testament, who killed with a sword the leader of the Assyrian army, saved the Israelite nation. She prefigures Mary the Mother of Jesus, whose "Fiat" brought salvation to all mankind. Recommended Readings: Judith 13:1-28

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ISAIAH December 13 Symbols: Burning Coal Isaiah's lips were impure from sin, and he realized this imperfection. Yet, he trusted the Lord to purify him. One of the seraphim, in a symbolic action, took a coal from the altar and touched his lips to cleanse them. Isaiah became a great prophet for the Lord, proclaiming the coming of a Messiah that would be a king, but also a suffering servant. Recommended Readings: Isaiah 6:5-8; 40:10-11; 62:1-3

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THE ANNUNCIATION December 14 Symbols: Lily Of Jesse's lineage was the Virgin Mary. Into her chamber came the Spirit of the Most High. That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him, in the dispensation of the fullness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him. —Eph. 1:9-10 V. The angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. The lily is a symbol of Our Lady's purity, though becoming a mother she remained a virgin. Recommended Readings: Luke 1:26-38

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THE VISITATION December 15 Symbols: Our Lady's Slipper "Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come; the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig tree has put forth her green figs; the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come. My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, show me your face. Let your voice sound in my ears, for your voice is sweet, and your face comely." — Song of Solomon 2:13-17 Recommended Readings: Luke 1:39-56

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JOHN THE BAPTIST December 16 Symbols: Shell The shell with three water drops is a symbol of baptism generally, and particularly of the baptism of Christ. The three droplets remind us of the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — into which Christians are baptized. The shell alone may also be used as a symbol for pilgrimage, and is often used as an emblem for saints known for their travels or whose shrines have become destinations for pilgrims. Recommended Readings: Matthew 3:1-12

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This is the last thing for your Jesse Tree. Why?

Because the One to Come is Jesus Chirst our Lord!

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BTTT for the Jesse Tree in 2006!

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Another idea for the Jesse Tree is Scripture Readings for each night!

Table of Scripture Readings for the Story

Date	Persons	Events/Themes	Scripture	Symbols
First Sunday	Introduction of the Jesse Tree		1 Sam 16:1-13 Isa 11:1-10	The Tree
Mon Wk 1	God	Creation	Gen 1:1-2:3	Dove
Tues Wk 1	Adam and Eve	The First Sin	Gen 2:4-3:24	Tree with Fruit or Apple
Wed Wk 1	Noah	The Flood	Gen 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 20-9:17	Rainbow or Ark
Thur Wk 1	Abraham	The Promise	Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6	Field of Stars
Friday Wk 1	Isaac	Offering of Isaac	Gen 22:1-19	Ram
Sat Wk 1	Jacob	Assurance of the  Promise	Gen 27:41-28:22	Ladder
Second Sunday	Joseph	God's Providence	Gen 37, 39:1-50:21	Sack of Grain or Coat
Mon Wk 2	Moses	God's Leadership	Exod 2:1-4:20	Burning Bush
Tues Wk 2	Israelites	Passover and Exodus	Exod 12:1-14:31	Lamb
Wed Wk 2	God	Giving the Torah at Sinai	Exod 19:1-20:20	Tablets of the Torah
Thur Wk 2	Joshua	The Fall of Jericho	Josh 1:1-11, 6:1-20	Ram's Horn Trumpet
Fri Wk 2	Gideon	Unlikely Heroes	Judg 2:6-23, 6:1-6, 11-8:28	Clay Water Pitcher
Sat Wk 2	Samuel	The Beginning of the Kingdom	1 Sam 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9	Crown
Third Sunday	David	A Shepherd for the People	1 Sam 16:1-23-17:58, 2 Sam 5:1-5, 7:1-17	Shepherd's Crook or Harp
Mon Wk 3	Elijah	The Threat of False Gods	1 Kng 17:1-16, 18:17-46	Stone Altar
Tues Wk 3	Hezekiah	Faithfulness and Deliverance	2 Kng 18:1-19:19, 32-37	An Empty Tent
Wed Wk 3	Isaiah	The Call to Holiness	Isa 1:10-20, 6:1-13, 8:11-9:7	Fire Tongs with Hot Coal
Thur Wk 3	Jeremiah	The Exile	Jer 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22-9:1-11	Tears
Fri Wk 3	Habakkuk	Waiting	Hab 1:1-2:1, 3:16-19	Stone Watchtower
Sat Wk 3	Nehemiah	Return and Rebuilding	Neh 1:1-2:8, 6:15-16, 13:10-22	City Wall
Fourth Sunday	John the Baptist	Repentance	Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-207:18-30	Scallop Shell
Mon Wk 4	Mary	The Hope for a  Future	Luke 1:26-38	White Lily
Tues Wk 4	Elizabeth	Joy	Luke 1:39-56	Mother and Child
Wed Wk 4	Zechariah	Anticipation	Luke 1:57-80	Pencil and Tablet
Thurs Wk 4	Joseph	Trust	Matt 1:19-25	Carpenter's Square or Hammer
Fri Wk 4	Magi	Worship	Matt 2:1-12	Star or Candle
Dec 24	Jesus	Birth of the Messiah	Luke 2:1-20	Manger
Dec 25	Christ	The Son of God	John 1:1-18	Chi-Rho Symbol

 

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MAKING JESSE TREE ORNAMENTS

 

Use the circle shapes as a template to cut around the above symbols or print out several circles and attach symbols to the circles.

JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES

(The symbols are only suggestions)

December 1
Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4
Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth

December 2
Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24
Symbols: tree, man, woman

December 3
Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24
Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite

December 4
Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22
Symbols: ark, animals, dove, rainbow

December 5
Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3
Symbols: torch, sword, mountain

December 6
Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14
Symbols: bundle of wood, altar, ram in bush

December 7
Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
Symbols: kettle, ladder

December 8
Joseph: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
Symbols: bucket, well, silver coins, tunic

December 9
Moses: Ex. 2:1-10
Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes

December 10
Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18
Symbols: lamp, temple

December 11
Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff

December 12
David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51
Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star

December 13
Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28
Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword

December 14
Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25
Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel, angle

December 15
Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
Symbols: lily, crown of stars, pierced heart

December 16
John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8
Symbols: shell with water, river

On December 17, the Church begins to intensify the preparation for Christmas with the use of the "O" Antiphons during the Liturgy of the Hours. The symbols for the Jesse Tree from December 17 to 23 are based on the "O" Antiphons.

December 17
Jesus is Wisdom: Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus in old Bibles) 24:2; Wisdom 8:1
Symbols: oil lamp, open book

December 18
Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1
Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets

December 19
Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3
Symbols: flower, plant with flower

December 20
Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22
Symbols: key, broken chains

December 21
Jesus is the Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7 (in older Bibles this will be Psalm 18)
Symbols: sun rising or high in sky

December 22
Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20
Symbols: crown, scepter

December 23
Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22
Symbols: tablets of stone, chalice and host

December 24
Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14
Symbols: candle, flame, sun

 

[Salvation]

Jesse Tree

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DIRECTIONS

The representation of the Tree of Jesse is based upon the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1-2:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the sprit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord.

In works of art the genealogy of Christ (based on Matthew 1) is frequently shown in the form of a tree which springs from Jesse, the father of David, and bears as its fruit the various ancestors of Christ.

The Jesse Tree symbols transform a Christmas tree into a "family tree" of Christ, since each ornament is a symbol of an ancestor or of a prophecy which foretells his coming. Some of the symbols included are the sun, the tablets of the Law, the key of David, Bethlehem, the root of Jesse, Noah's ark, the Ark of the Covenant, the altar of holocaust, the apple, the Paschal Lamb, the pillar of fire, manna, the star of David, Jacob's ladder, Jonah in the whale, the Temple, the crown and the scepter, the sword of Judith, and the burning bush.

The sun represents Christ as bringing eternal life and light, and is based on the prophecy of Malachi: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." The six-pointed Star of David symbolizes the lineage of Christ from the royal house of David. The burning bush symbolizes the Virgin Birth, and the prophecy of the birth is seen in the Bethlehem-emblem. The apple is a symbol of Christ, who took upon himself the burden of man's sin, and Jacob's ladder is interpreted as Christ reuniting mankind to God. The ladder has also been interpreted in a moral sense, with each of the fifteen rungs standing for a specific virtue. The lamb is one of the favorite, and most frequently used, symbols of Christ in all periods of Christian art. A typical reference is John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Noah's ark is a symbol of baptism, and Jonah in the whale symbolizes death and resurrection.

The stories of the Old Testament have been an unlimited source of inspiration for the visual arts. The burning bush was the subject of the triptych painted by Nicolas Froment in the thirteenth century. The star of David was a popular symbol in stained glass windows, as at the Cathedral of Lyons.

The Jesse Tree was an early form of design for the stained glass windows of great cathedrals, such as Chartres. In the portrayal of the descent of Christ from the line of David, there may be as few as four or five figures or as many as fifty. The twisting branches of the tree always start with Jesse and end at the top with Christ. The Tree of Jesse window in the cathedral at Chartres is full of meaning and symbolism. In the lowest panel Jesse is lying upon a couch; from his loins rises the stem of a tree which branches out into scrolls enclosing seated figures of the sons of Jesse holding the branches. Next to the upper panel is the Virgin; the upper panel holds the figure of Christ, much larger, with the dove descending from above. On either side of the panels in semicircular spaces are the prophets who foretell the coming of Christ. A border of interlacing lines and flowers resembling those in the center panel completes the design of this famous window.

At Sens Cathedral the Jesse window is a little different, for it shows not only the ancestors of Christ; a donkey on one of the branches honors the animal that played so great a part in the life of Jesus.

The Advent Jesse Tree is fairly recent practice, trying to emphasize "Christ" in Christmas by studying His roots. A home Jesse Tree can be a small evergreen tree, artificial or real, bare branch set in a sturdy pot, or a wallhanging made of felt, posterboard or wood. Each evening in Advent a new symbol is placed on the tree, the Scripture verse is read and the significance in Salvation History is explained.

From The Trees of Christmas, by Edna Metcalfe, ©1979, Abingdon Press

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[Salvation]

Here are the live links for the Jesse Tree.

·

• Jesse Tree

• Jesse Tree Instructions

• Jesse Tree Ornament Ideas and Blessing

• Jesse Tree Symbols (Activity)
  

 

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Here you go —

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1030905/posts?page=40#40

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Lots of Advent fun and learning here! Make a family Jesse Tree.

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A New Holiday Tradition -- Construct a Jesse Tree with your family during Advant

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Bumping this thread for family activity!