An Advent Celebration
Many families mark the days of advent with a traditional advent calendar, opening a tiny door for each day leading up to Christmas. The Jesse Tree Advent tradition also marks each day from the first Sunday in Advent to Christmas. But instead of little doors, the Jesse Tree uses ornaments to highlight moments in the Biblical storyline from creation to the cross.
We all have a family tree–branches filled with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Jesus has a family tree as well. The Jesse Tree is a way we can remember Jesus’ family heritage. Each ornament on the tree represents the story of a person in Jesus’ family line. As the symbol is hung on the tree, a Bible passage is read. The stories help us remember Jesus’s family and our place in it. As we read the Word, we remember that Jesus came to save his family. We remember our adoption into God’s family. And as we teach the next generation, we pray that God will include them in this family as well by giving them living faith.
The Jesse Tree Project
This year, Jesse Tree kits are available here for download. We hope you will use these kits with your family each night during Advent, which starts November 28th. There are black and white versions so your kids can color it and make it their own—we even have a version made specifically for adults. Or you can download a full-color version ready for use.
Each night during advent, stick one ornament on the tree. Read the verses referenced on that ornament and the devotional text included in the packet. If you start after November 28th, that’s ok! Just catch up by doing more than one per night.
When Advent is over, take a photo of your completed Jesse Tree and upload it to your social media. Tag Calvary in the photo and use the hashtag #CalvaryJesseTree. We can’t wait to see your completed trees!
Print your own!
Use these links to print your own Jesse Tree devotionals, ornaments and trees.