“On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom…

Not by appearance shall he judge,

nor by hearsay shall he decide,

but he shall judge the poor with justice,

and decide aright for the land's afflicted…

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

the calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them…

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,

as water covers the sea.

On that day, the root of Jesse,

set up as a signal for the nations,

the Gentiles shall seek out,

for his dwelling shall be glorious.”

In my childhood at St. Polycarp in Pleasure Ridge Park (now merged to form St. Peter the Apostle Parish) each advent would bring the hanging of a large banner behind the altar of the Jesse Tree. It was somewhat mysterious and intriguing with simple symbols representing the great and small events in salvation history that preceded the birth of the messiah. I remember both the curiosity and challenge of trying to figure out and understand each of the symbols on the image of a strong and vital tree. It caught my imagination and piqued my interest. It felt like an accomplishment to to accurately identify and understand each moment represented by the symbols (ornaments) on the banner of a tree. I did not realize that this tradition in the Catholic Church dated to the 12th century, nor did I know it was inspired from today’s first reading from Isaiah. 

In a time of great illiteracy, stained glass was used in churches to teach biblical stories and truths of the faith. In that context, the first image of a Jesse Tree appeared in the 12th century, displaying the genealogy of Jesus from Jesse, the father of King David, to Jesus in the very first use of a family tree as a schematic representation of genealogy. As the symbol developed through the centuries, it changed from a strict genealogy to a representation of the key moments of God’s preparation for the coming of a messiah, his Son, Jesus the Christ. In a sense, it morphed from a strict genealogy to a family story about God’s intervention in our human history, leading to the coming of God in the flesh. The current symbols begin with our reading today, a sprout from the stump of Jesse, and traverse the creation of humans, the fall, Noah’s ark, the promised land, God’s promise to Abraham, Joseph, the 10 commandments, Rahab, Ruth and Boaz, God choosing David to be king, King David the shepherd, Solomon’s temple, Esther, Isaiah’s prophesy of a savior, Isaiah and the second coming, Jonah and the whale, Daniel and the Lions’ den, the prophecy of a savior born in Bethlehem, Elizabeth and Zechariah, John the Baptist, the Annunciation, an angel appearing to Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, and the birth of Jesus. Though it is limited, it hits some of the highlights of the great story, the beginning of the greatest story ever told. 

The Jesse Tree is a reminder that God is at work in human history. It is a story of God’s preparation for the greatest gift of all, the birth of God in the flesh. It is a tradition worth holding on to or reappropriating again in our homes, classrooms, and community. It is the story of God with us. A simple and easy resource is at www.faithward.org/jesse-tree. In this season of preparation, may we always recognize that it’s not just us preparing for the birth of Jesus, but God preparing us for the gift of his Son. God is at work. God is with us.