The concept of the Jesse Tree originates from Isaiah 11:1, which prophesies, "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of His roots." The branch, serving as a biblical emblem of renewal amid adversity, becomes a means to discuss the anticipated Messiah. It symbolizes Jesus the Christ, fully God and fully man, full of grace and truth.
These devotions aim to unravel the narrative of God in the Old Testament, linking the Advent Season to God's steadfastness.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Genesis 2:7-9
Out of all creation, mankind is the only work that God personally put His hands to; every other creation He spoke into existence. Imagine Adam’s first waking moment. The first time he opens his eyes, he is face-to-face with God breathing life into him. He was made to fellowship with God and worship Him.
Jesus is called the "last Adam" because He ushered in the new creation through His incarnation, sinless life, sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection. He restored all humanity to the grace of fellowship with God.
2 Corinthians 4:6 reads, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Like Adam, we too can behold the face of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. God is restoring Eden in our hearts by undoing the effects of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We now, by faith, eat the fruit of the tree of life - the body of Christ.
Jesus, help us to behold You. Help us to live in the new creation reality. Shine into our hearts and give to us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Restore Eden in our hearts that we may fellowship with You and worship You.
