Preparing Our Hearts

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Image Source: Amazon.com

    In the last couple of years, we have started a tradition with the children of decorating a Jesse tree.  Starting December 1, we add one ornament a day and read the Bible passage and short Bible story that accompanies it.  We are not always perfectly consistent and days get missed, but we try!  What never changes is the blessing my heart gets from meditating on the wonder of Jesus coming to earth as a human baby and the story that is told of redemption throughout the whole Bible! It is one of my favorite traditions, even if it is a newer one for us.  Most of the kids enjoy the tradition, even the older ones who feign boredom!  The seeds of the gospel are being planted in their hearts and the Bible stories point them to Jesus in a way that might not be emphasized enough at other times during the year.  
    What is a Jesse tree?  It started way back in Medieval times, from what I have learned.  The first Jesse trees were ornate carvings, tapestries or stained glass windows that told the Advent Story so that those who could not read could learn the stories of the Bible. Today it varies from an actual tree, tree branch or wreath to paper or cloth image hung up to hold the daily decorations.  I only learned about it a few years ago, and immediately fell in love with the idea of it.  It is a way to tell the Bible stories from Creation to the Birth of Jesus in the days leading up to Christmas.  Each ornament represents a Bible story and leads to a discussion about Jesus.  It gets its name from the very first ornament and Bible passage of the tradition:

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 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--
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV)

    A branch, a sign of new life came out of an old dead stump.  This living thing grew and yielded fruit!  From the rest of the passage we know that this branch is Jesus, coming from the descendants of Jesse. This is the reminder that God always keeps His promises!  He promised way back in Genesis that the Redeemer would come from Israel. 

 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, 

      nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 
      until tribute comes to him; 
      and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Genesis 49:10 (ESV)

What confidence we have in knowing that God keeps His promises!  We can trust our God to do and accomplish what He says He will.  
    The shoot that grew up out of that old dead stump also symbolizes life.  Jesus is life! There is no life apart from Him.  The theological ramifications for this are far deeper than I am able to grasp at my current level of knowledge of God's Word.  I will, however grasp just a little bit more each time I study it.  I do know that I find abundant comfort and peace in knowing that my life is hid in Jesus and eternal life is mine because of Him.  He provides the very breath I breathe here on earth, and my eternity is life with Him.  

    “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … In Him was life, and the life was the light of men … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …”
 John 1:1,4,14. (NKJV)

    These are the foundations of the Christmas event.  It is so much more than a beautiful, romanticized story.  It is recalling the events of a Holy God who sent His Son to be born of a young, human girl in order to fulfill all of the promises of redemption He made to a world of thankless, reprobate humans.  
    However you celebrate the days leading up to Christmas day with your family, my prayer is that you will be drawn closer to Jesus than ever as you remember the faithfulness of God and life that He brings to you and me.  Praise His Holy Name!

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