Light first purple candle - The Hope Candle
Are you familiar with the Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree? While a practice first started in medieval times, Jesse Trees have been used throughout the ages to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the birth of the Christ Child. Jesse Trees came back into fashion, at least within the christian communities I am part of, about 15 years ago. Jesse was the father of the great Jewish shepherd, musician and anointed king, David. The prophecy from which the Jesse Tree is based finds its origin in our reading for today.
* Read Isaiah 11:1-10
In the previous two chapters of Isaiah’s prophecy, God reveals His gracious intentions towards his chosen people, “for the Lord disciplines the one he loves.” (Heb 12:6) God is going to discipline His children for their rebellion towards Him by sending them into captivity, using the ruthless pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon as rods of His anger; the staff in their hands, His wrath. (Is. 10:3) But eventually…
“Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” (Is. 11:1)
Jesse was part of an amazing family tree. His grandparents were Boaz and Ruth, an unlikely match of an older Hebrew leader and land owner and a young Moabite widow whose love story warrants their own book in the Old Testament! Their son, Obed, was Jesse’s father who passed on the family farm and ranch to his son. Jesse then had eight sons and raised them on their family’s land in Bethlehem. David, the shepherd boy, the musician/singer/songwriter, slayer of giants and anointed king of Israel was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons. By the time Isaiah is God’s prophet to His people, the flourishing family tree has been cut in two, literally. After King Solomon’s (David’s son) peaceful and productive reign over the country, the nation split into two kingdoms, north and south. The Northern Kingdom, referred to as Israel, included ten of the twelve tribes. Jeroboam, a high-ranking official under King Solomon, led the northern tribes in their secession from the Southern Kingdom ruled by Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, including the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, known collectively as Judah.
Not only had the tree been split in two, it was now nothing but a barren stump. Isaiah was prophesying that, from the barren stump of Jesse, a branch would shoot up, grow strong and bear everlasting fruit! While the Spirit of the Lord God was certainly on David, this promised tender shoot would grow through the descendants of David, sometimes in righteous kings but often in wicked ones. Several hundred years later, Jesus would be born of a virgin, grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man, until finally anointed by the Holy Spirit as He rose from His baptism in the waters of the Jordan River as God’s Righteous One come to earth.
“On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples.
The nations will look to Him for guidance, and His resting place will be glorious.” (Is. 11:10)
Jesus the Root as well as the Strong Branch from the Stump of Jesse would come not only for God’s chosen people Israel, but for all the nations! He would be the one through whom all who believe would be grafted into a bigger, stronger, more beautiful and diverse family tree!
* Sing Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus(see page 15 for lyrics)
* Reflect
* Have you had any previous experience with the Jesse Tree during Advent? If not, feel free to head over to my website and download the free ornaments for each day of Advent, as well as a copy of a Jesse Tree you can print out. If you have kids or grandkids, I’d love for you to access my God’s Promise Through Generations - Kids Advent 2025. It goes through the same devotional topics, but on their developmental level, plus it’s a coloring book! What could be more fun!!
* Think about how long the people of God were required to wait for God’s promise to be revealed and realized in Jesus.
* Pray and thank God for this slow and purposeful practice of Advent.
