Jesse Tree

The name “Jesse Tree” comes from Isaiah 11:1-2: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

"The Jesse Tree idea centers around Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy being the “stump of Jesse”. Each ornament represents a different story, starting at the beginning of Creation and working all the way to the coming of Christ Jesus. Each reading shows how all the Old Testament points towards the coming of Christ as the Messiah. The Jesse Tree gives such a beautiful picture into seeing how each story of the Bible speaks about God. Each story is a little whisper of His name and a glimpse into character, plan and purpose. The Jesse Tree is a form of Advent, in which you read one story each day from November 30-December 25. It is a fun and purposeful opportunity to sit down as a family and read more about His coming, but also have a visual representation through each ornament."

We started this tradition this year with the boys. We would read a devotion and they would take turns hanging an ornament on the tree. They loved having the Jesse Tree in there room. It was such a sweet time every night before bedtime, so much so that I was very sad to pack it up on Christmas Day. Here is a picture of our Jesse Tree.