We are enjoying our journey with the Jesse Tree! Each evening we gather for our Jesse tree devotional time. Then Thomas colors the ornament while Hudson tries to color everything else like the coffee table and the Bibles :) We also have Mary and Joseph visiting us right now for the Posada at church(Mary and Joseph travel from home to home on their way to Bethlehem). So we also spend a lot of time asking Thomas and Hudson to be respectful of Mary and Joseph...Yes, Thomas, they are just plastic, but they do represent real people...Just in case, you pictured a nice solemn Jesse tree devotional time, now you know:)
December 5
“Isaac said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’” Genesis 22:7,8
Today’s symbol: Ram
Ideas to do and talk about:
*If we didn’t read about it yesterday, we will read about Isaac being born and then read an account of the “almost” sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis 22. I can't even imagine what little minds think when they listen to this story…I love the way the Jesus Storybook Bible puts this, “Abraham didn’t understand. But he knew that God was his father who loved him. And so Abraham trusted him.” Later in the story it says, “Isaac didn’t understand but he knew his father loved him. And so he trusted him.”
*Pray to always know God as Father who can be trusted in ALL things.
*Talk about Abraham’s trust in God and that because he trusted God, God promised that in his offspring all the nations shall be blessed. That blessing is Jesus Christ!
*Think about giving something to God as a sacrifice…a toy given to Goodwill, time given in prayer that could be used otherwise, doing an inconvenient task for someone who asked….
*Thank God for providing the Lamb as a sacrifice in our place…
December 6
“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!” Genesis 28:12
Today’s symbol: Ladder
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of Jacob’s ladder in a children’s Bible. Before Jacob’s encounter with God in his dream, we don’t know how much he knows of God. While we can guess that the family stories of faith were passed down, Jacob now has direct knowledge of the God of his fathers. Genesis 28:17 states, “And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place!...’” While awesome is commonly used these days, this awesome is the real deal…My prayer…that my boys come to have direct knowledge of God, that our family faith stories “prime” their hearts for it, that they have fear/holy reverence for our God, and that they know how truly awesome He is…
*Talk about that God met Jacob in the dream despite the fact that he was “imperfect.” (He had deceived his brother and his father, with selfish motives…)
*Talk about if a ladder could reach to heaven…I love to ask Thomas these kinds of questions. You never know what you are going to hear!
*Color the ladder ornament and add some angels to it if you’d like!
December 7
“And he said, ‘I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.’” Genesis 45:4,5
Today’s symbol: Joseph’s Coat
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of Joseph and God’s great plan to preserve His people from Genesis 37-46. “The forgiving prince” in the Jesus Storybook Bible is so good. Emphasize how God would use everything, even bad things, that happened to Joseph for good.
*Talk about something sad or hard in the past that over time you could see as good.
*Make coats of many colors from paper bags colored with crayons or markers
*Color the Joseph’s Coat ornament with bright colors and add it to your Jesse tree.
*Thank God that all things will work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
December 8
“Your lamb shall be without blemish…” Exodus 12:5
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13
Today’s symbol: Lamb
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of the plagues and the Passover in a children’s Bible. We may have to read portions of both the Jesus Storybook Bible and the Big Picture Story Bible for this one!
* I was a frog in a church choir play about the Exodus when I was in elementary school so we may do some frog-hopping for fun…
*Talk about being hard-hearted like Pharaoh. Do we ever want to shut our ears to God or others in authority over us?
*Here’s a China story that I have to tell about the Passover… When we were in China, we did an Easter presentation for Matthew’s class during which we showed the Jesus film. To prep the students for what they were about to see, our teammate Rick drew a timeline on the board, listing many stories beginning at creation going all the way to present time. These students were familiar with many of these Biblical stories as “myths.” After thinking about the timeline and watching the film, one student actually made this connection asking us in front of the class if Jesus’ death was like the sacrifice of the unblemished lambs at Passover since he was sinless…Yes!
*Thank God for His faithfulness to His people throughout the ages and for keeping His promises. He would preserve His people through famine (remember Joseph’s story) and now through slavery so that one day through Jesus all the world would be blessed!
*Color the Lamb ornament and hang it on the Jesse tree...
December 5
“Isaac said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’” Genesis 22:7,8
Today’s symbol: Ram
Ideas to do and talk about:
*If we didn’t read about it yesterday, we will read about Isaac being born and then read an account of the “almost” sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis 22. I can't even imagine what little minds think when they listen to this story…I love the way the Jesus Storybook Bible puts this, “Abraham didn’t understand. But he knew that God was his father who loved him. And so Abraham trusted him.” Later in the story it says, “Isaac didn’t understand but he knew his father loved him. And so he trusted him.”
*Pray to always know God as Father who can be trusted in ALL things.
*Talk about Abraham’s trust in God and that because he trusted God, God promised that in his offspring all the nations shall be blessed. That blessing is Jesus Christ!
*Think about giving something to God as a sacrifice…a toy given to Goodwill, time given in prayer that could be used otherwise, doing an inconvenient task for someone who asked….
*Thank God for providing the Lamb as a sacrifice in our place…
December 6
“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!” Genesis 28:12
Today’s symbol: Ladder
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of Jacob’s ladder in a children’s Bible. Before Jacob’s encounter with God in his dream, we don’t know how much he knows of God. While we can guess that the family stories of faith were passed down, Jacob now has direct knowledge of the God of his fathers. Genesis 28:17 states, “And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place!...’” While awesome is commonly used these days, this awesome is the real deal…My prayer…that my boys come to have direct knowledge of God, that our family faith stories “prime” their hearts for it, that they have fear/holy reverence for our God, and that they know how truly awesome He is…
*Talk about that God met Jacob in the dream despite the fact that he was “imperfect.” (He had deceived his brother and his father, with selfish motives…)
*Talk about if a ladder could reach to heaven…I love to ask Thomas these kinds of questions. You never know what you are going to hear!
*Color the ladder ornament and add some angels to it if you’d like!
December 7
“And he said, ‘I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.’” Genesis 45:4,5
Today’s symbol: Joseph’s Coat
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of Joseph and God’s great plan to preserve His people from Genesis 37-46. “The forgiving prince” in the Jesus Storybook Bible is so good. Emphasize how God would use everything, even bad things, that happened to Joseph for good.
*Talk about something sad or hard in the past that over time you could see as good.
*Make coats of many colors from paper bags colored with crayons or markers
*Color the Joseph’s Coat ornament with bright colors and add it to your Jesse tree.
*Thank God that all things will work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
December 8
“Your lamb shall be without blemish…” Exodus 12:5
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13
Today’s symbol: Lamb
Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of the plagues and the Passover in a children’s Bible. We may have to read portions of both the Jesus Storybook Bible and the Big Picture Story Bible for this one!
* I was a frog in a church choir play about the Exodus when I was in elementary school so we may do some frog-hopping for fun…
*Talk about being hard-hearted like Pharaoh. Do we ever want to shut our ears to God or others in authority over us?
*Here’s a China story that I have to tell about the Passover… When we were in China, we did an Easter presentation for Matthew’s class during which we showed the Jesus film. To prep the students for what they were about to see, our teammate Rick drew a timeline on the board, listing many stories beginning at creation going all the way to present time. These students were familiar with many of these Biblical stories as “myths.” After thinking about the timeline and watching the film, one student actually made this connection asking us in front of the class if Jesus’ death was like the sacrifice of the unblemished lambs at Passover since he was sinless…Yes!
*Thank God for His faithfulness to His people throughout the ages and for keeping His promises. He would preserve His people through famine (remember Joseph’s story) and now through slavery so that one day through Jesus all the world would be blessed!
*Color the Lamb ornament and hang it on the Jesse tree...
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