“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1-3

What is a Jesse Tree? 

The Jesse tree is a beautiful Advent tradition designed to walk you and your family through the genealogy of Jesus Christ as you prepare for his coming at Christmas. Advent is a season of waiting and reflection. With the Jesse tree, you and your family can become more familiar with the genealogy of Jesus, taking time to contemplate God’s loving providence which brought humanity from Adam to Christ, to you! 

How does it work? 

Each day of Advent the family will read a passage from the scriptures about the biblical figure of the day, and then hang the coinciding ornament on a tree. 

How to Make a Jesse Tree?

Some families use their Christmas tree, others purchase a smaller tree, or simply put a collection of sticks in a vase. The ornaments can be purchased, but what better way to make some memories than to make them yourselves? Below is a list of twenty-nine ornaments and their corresponding verses. Depending on how long Advent is you may need to double-up on some days. To make your own ornaments you will need some glue, multicolored paper and or craft foam, markers, a hole punch, some string or ribbon, and anything else in your craft cabinet you desire! Don’t forget to label each ornament so you don’t get them mixed up, and let’s get started!

Adam and Eve – Genesis 3:1-24 

The story begins with Adam and Eve, our first parents in the garden. For this ornament, have your children cut out an apple shape out of craft foam or construction paper, then glue a leaf-shaped piece of paper to the red one. Punch a hole at the top of the apple, and thread through a piece of string. For an extra touch, cut a bite-mark out of the side of your apple.

Noah – Genesis 6:11-9:17

There are options for this ornament, either an ark or a rainbow. Easy to create with craft paper or craft foam, don’t forget to punch a hole for your ribbon or string! Add some glitter to your rainbow for extra sparkle on your tree. 

Abraham and Sarah – Genesis 12:1-7, 15:1-6

Abraham and Sarah, whose descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, also have options. Create a small camel to represent the couple leaving their native land. Or, craft a tent from which Sarah laughed at God’s prophecy. Too complicated? Buy some star stickers and have the children place them on a small black or navy blue piece of craft foam or paper. 

Isaac – Genesis 22: 1-19

Prefiguring Christ’s sacrifice in the New Testament, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son. Though an angel came to stop him, the willingness of both Abraham and Isaac proved they were God’s loyal servants. Collect some tiny twigs from the backyard, tie them together, and hang them on the tree as a symbol of the burden Isaac carried. Alternatively, create a small ram, which was sacrificed in Isaac’s stead, try using cotton balls for the wool!

Rebecca – Genesis 25:19-34, and 27

Isaac married Rebecca, who was discovered fetching water from the well. Much later, Christ would meet a different woman at a well, offering her living water. For this ornament, craft a small well with craft paper or craft foam, perhaps drawing bricks on red construction paper. 

Jacob – Genesis 28:10-22 or 32:25-31

Jacob is famous for his dream of the ladder, on which the angels ascended and descended. Cut up some brown paper or foam into two long strips and several short ones to make your ladder. 

Rachel and Leah – Genesis 29:15-30

Rachel and Leah marry Jacob, though only through the interference of a veil! For this ornament cut out a veil out of paper – cut out an oval, and then cut it in half the short way – then add a band or crown to the narrow end of it to make it more bridal. God writes straight with crooked lines, and while not every member of Christ’s lineage is perfect, they all deserve remembering!

Joseph – Genesis 37:3-4 and 17-36; 50:15-21

Most everyone knows the story of Joseph and his colored coat! Cut out a white coat-shape and then clue as many different colored pieces as possible on top! Or, simply let the kids go crazy with the markers.

Moses – Exodus 3:1-15, Exodus 20:1-21

For Moses, you can either make a burning bush, or the ten commandments. For the first cut out some red, orange, and yellow tear drop shapes and glue them to a brown stump-shaped piece of paper. For the ten commandments cut out two gray arches and write the numbers 1-10 in Roman numerals. Traditionally 1-3 go on one and 4-10 go on the other!

Rahab – Joshua 2:1-21

Rahab helped the Israelite spies escape from Jericho. For her, you can simply use a red string as an ornament, or glue the red string to a piece of paper. This was the secret symbol she used with the Israelites. 

Joshua – Joshua 6:1-20

Joshua and the Israelites blew their trumpets and the wall of Jericho came down! For this ornament cut out a trumpet. It can be as simple as a triangle or as complicated as a bugle, up to you!

Gideon – Judges 7:1-8, 15-20

One of the Judges, Gideon was called by God to lead the Israelites. For this ornament you will be making a torch. Either glue some orange and yellow paper at the end of a long strip of brown, or for some texture, use orange and yellow tissue paper instead!

Samson – Judges 13:1-5, 15:14-17

God’s strongman, Samson is known for his long hair and his temper. For this ornament, cut out a rectangle out of gray or tan paper, then draw cracks all across it. This is to represent the pillars Samson pulled down onto the philistines when God gave him back his strength. 

Ruth – Ruth chapters 1-4

Ruth is a beautiful story of trust and hope in the Lord. For this ornament, draw some wheat on a piece of paper or craft foam to depict the grains Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s fields. 

Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:1-20, 24-28; 2:18-20

Hannah promised that if God gave her a son she would give him back to serve God. Even though he lived at the temple, Hannah would bring him a new coat every year. For this ornament cut out a small coat shape of any color you like to represent Hannah’s gift. 

Samuel – 1 Samuel 3:1-19; 16:1-13

Hannah’s son Samuel became a prophet, and God appointed him to go and anoint a King for Israel. For this ornament you will be crafting a container or oil. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, simply a teardrop shape with a cork at the top, or a bottle shape. Writing “Oil” on it is a nice touch.

David – 1 Samuel 16:1-16

David was the first king of Israel, and was beloved by God. For David you can make a harp with some craft foam and string, or a sling with a strip of long brown paper and a circle of gray for the rock. 

Solomon – 1 Kings 3:4-15

Son of David and known for his wisdom, Solomon’s symbol is the temple of Israel which he helped to build. The temple was mostly squares and rectangles, so simply cut out a square and draw on several doors and pillars on either side, decorating it to look extra special. If you’d like you can click here for a 3D rendering of what the temple would have looked like!

Elijah – 1 Kings 19:3-13; 2 Kings 2:1-5, 9-13

The prophet Elijah is known for fire – calling down fire from heaven on the priests of Baal, and ascending into heaven on a chariot of fire. To make a chariot, cut out a circle for the wheel, and a stylized triangle for the chariot frame. Glue these together and then attach some red, yellow, and orange flames to the back. Decorate your chariot however you like!

Jonah – Jonah 1:1-17; 2:10; 3:1-3

Jonah the prophet ran away from God, but after some time of reflection in a whale, continued on to carry God’s message to Nineveh. For this ornament you will be making that whale! Simply cut out a whale shape – or a fish if a whale is too hard – and decorate it how you like! 

Isaiah – Isaiah 9:1-6 and 11:1-9

Isaiah the prophet is where we get the tradition of the Jesse tree! For this ornament make a small stump out of brown paper or foam and then attach two small leaves to it, to represent the sprout. 

Ezekiel – 37:1-14 and 24-28

The prophet Ezekiel predicted the resurrection of the dead which Jesus promised with his own resurrection. For this ornament you’ll want to cut out some bone shapes and glue them onto a colored piece of paper. Use as many or as few as you like!

Esther – Esther 2:17-18; 3:8-15; 4:7-16; 7:10

Esther, the courageous queen who saved her people from extermination has a crown for her ornament. Use yellow or gold paper and decorate as you like to make a beautiful crown worthy of a queen.

Daniel – Daniel 1:1-4; 6:1-28; 7:13-14

Daniel, another prophet, is known for his time spent in the Lion’s den, when God shut the mouths of the lions. For this ornament, you will be making one of the ferocious beasts, or at least his face. Cut a yellow circle and surround it with strips of brown, orange, and yellow to create a main. Add two smaller circles for the ears, and then draw a face. (hint: a “Y” makes an excellent lion’s nose!)

Elizabeth – Luke 1:5-25

We are nearing the end of Advent, and growing closer to the coming of Christ. For Elizabeth you can make an angel, to represent the angel who told Zechariah that Elizabeth would become pregnant, though she was far past childbearing age. 

John the Baptist – Luke 1:57-80

John the Baptist is Elizabeth’s son, and the one to baptize Jesus when he began his public ministry. Even before that, the two met while they were still in their mother’s wombs. For John you can cut a shell out of paper, to represent the baptism that will come.

Joseph – Matthew 1:18-25

St. Joseph the carpenter is the foster father of Jesus. Though he never said a word in scripture, he is known for his quiet faith and obedience to God. For Joseph, make a hammer or saw to hang on your tree.

Mary – Luke 1:26-38, 39-56; Luke 2:1-14

Finally, our last ornament is for Mary, the mother of God. For this ornament you can either choose a lily, symbol of her immaculate conception, or a manger, the first bed of the baby Jesus.