The Jesse Tree
“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”
The Jesse Tree is an interactive way to tell the story of people and events that form the family tree of Jesus Christ. As we prepare, in Advent, for the birth of Jesus, these symbols are a way to connect our own faith in Jesus to these stories, some familiar and some less familiar.
You can make a Jesse Tree part of your family’s Advent devotions at home! Ornaments can be purchased or made. Try Etsy for a variety of designs, or print and color your own at home (click the button below). With this series of videos, made in 2021, Father Dirk Reinken and Anne Delgado invite you into our church and homes to learn about this Advent tradition.
In addition to the ornaments, made or bought, representing the Biblical lineage of Jesus, another way to connect with these stories is to add some ornaments representing symbols that are important to your own family. These can be simple—drawn or colored, or perhaps using stickers or decals from the craft store. This is a great way to see how our own families are part of Jesus’ family tree, too!
Creation
Genesis 1:1-5
Abraham
Genesis 15:1-5
Joseph
Genesis 50:19-21
The Promised Land
Numbers 13:1-2, 21, 25-27
David
1 Samuel 16:1-3
Reading the Covenant
2 Kings 23:1-3
The Lion and the Lamb
Isaiah 11:6-10
The New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31-33
The New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:1-6
Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:1-7
Isaac
Genesis 22:1-13
The Burning Bush
Exodus 3:1-6
Ruth
Ruth 1:15-16
Solomon & the Temple
1 Kings 6:11-13
Isaiah / Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The Good Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:2b, 4-5, 15a, 16a, 23-24
Micah
Micah 5:1-5a
The Angel Appears to Mary
Luke 1:26-38
Noah’s Ark
Genesis 6:18-22
Jacob’s Ladder
Genesis 28:10-17
The Ten Commandments
Exodus 19:16-20
Joshua
Joshua 6:2-5
Elijah
1 Kings 18:36-39
The Root of Jesse
Isaiah 11:1-3a
The Sacrificial Lamb
Isaiah 53:4-7, 9, 12b
The Furnace
Daniel 3:19-20, 23-28
The Birth of Jesus
Matthew 1:18-23
The Word
John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”