Jesse Tree Traditions | Celebrating Holidays

During the Middle Ages, artists began depicting the ancestry of Christ in the form of a tree. The imagery is drawn from Isaiah 11:1, A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The branch is understood by Christians to be Jesus, a descendant of Jesse,

Jesse Tree Traditions

During the Middle Ages, artists began depicting the ancestry of Christ in the form of a tree. The imagery is drawn from Isaiah 11:1, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” The “branch” is understood by Christians to be Jesus, a descendant of Jesse, the father of King David. The “Jesse Tree” can be found in medieval stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, stone carvings, embroideries, etc. Interestingly, the use of a tree to represent the genealogy of Christ is believed to be the origin of the term “family tree” that refers to (or depicts) a person’s genealogy.

Jesse Tree Traditions
Since Jesse Tree imagery is a powerful visual way to demonstrate God’s work through history (and the fulfillment of prophecy that the Messiah would be born through a specific lineage), it has become a popular Christmas tradition for Christian families. The images (usually hung as ornaments on a tree) have expanded over time to include not just people but symbols of significant events in the story of the Bible that lead up to the birth of Christ. There are several variations of this tradition — many of them are listed below with free instructions and printables!

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