Monday, August 29, 2011

:) Jesse Tree

What is a Jesse Tree ornament?

There's a brand new Etsy shop called Inspired Traditions.  
Have a look!  And learn about these beautifully crafted ornaments!


The Jesse Tree tradition began as a family tree for Jesus. It originates from Isaiah 1:1, which says, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse". Jesse, the father of King David, is one of the patriarchs through whom Jesus' lineage is traced. This Jesse Tree ornament set can be used much like an advent calendar. Advent, meaning "coming", refers to the anticipation of the coming Christ. There is an ornament for each day in December through Christmas day that depicts a story from biblical history. For each symbol there are correlating Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. These stories give a "refresher" of the Bible as a whole, all the while reminding us of how the scriptures are all connected in the theme of God's grace. Some of the Old Testament symbols were chosen because a person in the story is in the lineage of Christ while others because Jesus himself referred to some part of the story. The New Testament symbols chosen have the prophecy scriptures referenced from the Old Testament. From the story of creation to the story of the wise men following a star, each symbol was chosen to help tell the story of God's plan to bring us back to himself through Jesus. The Jesse Tree displays the story of the coming Christ, carved out through history, by the sovereign hand of God.

What makes this Jesse Tree set unique is that every one of the 25 ornaments has both an Old Testament scripture reference and a New Testament reference. I made these for my family to teach my three children the true meaning of Christmas. Each day from December 1st to Christams Day, my kids place one of these ornaments on our tree after we have read to them the story behind the symbol. In the last month of the year, they get a reminder of a few of the stories they have learned throughout the year, in chronological order, and hear again how the Bible as a whole is connected through the grace of Jesus as we prepare to celebrate his birth.



If you'd like to purchase a set of Jesse Tree Ornaments, click the link to go to the Etsy listing.

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