Traveling down Orchard Road and watching the streets decked up with ornaments of Santa and his reindeers is a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. Believers all over are looking for ways to be intentional about teaching our children about the true reason for the season. There is an old tradition, the Jesse tree tradition, that can be used as a teaching tool during the season. It is based on Isaiah 11:1 – “A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots” and is a way of teaching the Old Testament background for the Messiah, and showing how all of God’s promises have been fulfilled. The Advent season is a wonderful time to reaffirm God’s faithfulness, and the lessons of the Jesse tree help do so.
Instead of doing up your Christmas tree with the ornaments supplied by the Christmas shopping malls, you can use it as your Jesse tree for this season. If you don’t have a Christmas tree, it can be a banner, a tree branch, a mobile, or any other thing used to hang ornaments. It can be as simple as a green paper in a Christmas tree shape. A special ornament is hung each day of the Advent season, and a corresponding short reading teaches the story and meaning for each ornament. Families can incorporate this into their family worship time during this season. It is my hope that this will become a family tradition for you and that you will be blessed by all you learn.
Here is the list of suggested stories to include (to cover 40 days in Advent). You will notice that the stories relate to deliverers that God has provided throughout the history of the people of God and the Deliverer par excellence:
* Creation Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-4 (tree, drop of water, globe) – 2 days
* Adam and Eve Genesis 2:7-9, 18-24 (plant, sword, angel, leaf) – 2 days
* Fall of Man Genesis 3: 1-7, 23, 24 (apple, serpent)
* Noah Genesis 6: 5-8, 13-22; 7: 17-23, 24; 8:1, 6-22 (ark, dove, rainbow) – 3 days
* Abraham Genesis 12:1-3 (tent, man)
* Isaac Genesis 22:1-14 (ram, bush, altar)
* Jacob Genesis 25:1-34; 28:10-15 (ladder) – 2 days
* Joseph Genesis 37: 3-28; 45: 3-15 (striped robe, coin, silver cup) – 2 days
* Moses Exodus 2:1-10 (bush, basket, baby)
* Passover/ Exodus Exodus 12:1-14:31 (bush, staff)
* 10 Commandments Exodus 19:1-20:20 (stone tablet)
* Joshua Joshua 1:1-11, 6:1-20 (trumpet, wall)
* Gideon Judges 2:6-23, 6:1-6, 11-8:28 (clay pitcher) – 2 days
* Samuel 1 Samuel 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9 (scroll) – 3 days
* David 1 Samuel 16:1-23 – 17:58 (harp, crown) – 2 days
* Elijah 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 7:1-17 (fire)
* Isaiah Isaiah 1:10-20, 6:1-13, 8:11-9:7 (rose) – 2 days
* John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-20, 7:18-30 (locust, water) – 2 days
* Mary Luke 1:26-38 (white lily)
* Elizabeth Luke 1:39-56 (mother and child)
* Zechariah Luke 1:57-80 (paper and pencil)
* Joseph Matthew 1:19-25 (hammer, square)
* Magi Matthew 2:1-12 (gifts)
* Jesus Luke 2:1-20 (star)
* Christ John 1:1-18 (Chi-Rho symbol circle with P with X on the bottom)
* Return of Christ Matthew 24: 3-51, Acts 1:3-11 (cloud, watch)
* Satan’s doom Revelation 20 1-15 (book, saints, thrones)
* New Heaven & Earth Revelation 21:1-14, 22:1-7 (fruits, opened gates)
Each day, read the devotion and give the children a round white piece of paper circle about 3 inches in diameter. Ask them to illustrate the story you have read from the Bible or draw a symbol. The paper reminds us again of the round white wafer or Host of the Eucharist. Be creative and enjoy Advent with your children. It starts on 29th November ’09!
~ Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan