Once more, we looked at different decorations for our Jesse Tree, which help us to understand better the significance of Jesus’s birth and how this fits into the bigger picture of God’s story. The first decoration this week was a scroll, symbolising the prophets who spoke out God’s word to people. Isaiah told them that the Saviour would be born of a virgin and that he would be a light in the darkness. One of his prophecies said that a new king would appear among the descendants of Jesse ‘just as new shoots sprout from the stump of a tree.’ (Isaiah 11:1-2) The scroll represents these prophecies and show us God’s amazing foreknowledge and planning.
The second decoration was a house, symbolising Bethlehem, the place where Jesse and his family lived. Not only does this remind us of Jesus’s ancestors, but it also reminds us that Bethlehem was chosen to be the place of Jesus’s birth, to fulfil a prophecy in Micah 5:2. God was able to organise world events so that Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem for the Roman census! Such is His power and majesty; nothing ever takes Him by surprise!
Next came a harp, to symbolise worship and praise, especially relating to Jesse’s son, David, who became king of Israel (probably the most famous of them all!) When young, David would play the harp to soothe King Saul; he would later write many songs, some of which are recorded in the book of Psalms. Singing and music have always been ways people worship God joyfully and this harp (made by Garry’s 3D pen!) reminds us that it is good to sing to God and praise Him for all He has done.
Finally, the crown reminds us of the kings of Israel, including David and his son, Solomon, who was renowned for his wisdom and for building a magnificent temple for the Lord. Most of all, however, the crown reminds us that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We celebrate His birth as a helpless baby at Christmas time, but we must never forget His true identity.
