This web page contains the daily devotional
readings from our Jesse Tree booklet, "Awaiting Our Deliverer." As we observe
the Jesse Tree, use these readings to prepare your heart for our coming Savior.
We begin our journey at the foot of Jesse's Tree on December 1st. These readings
are meant to be used at home during Advent in conjunction with our corporate
Jesse Tree Observance each Sunday. Scripture references start the devotional,
followed by a reflective text and then a statement to ponder and pray over.
These texts are for personal devotions, with a group, or within the family.
For readings in a family with young children, use a children's or story Bible
in place of the devotional readings.
Click on the date below to go directly today's
reading. Click on the Scripture reference to read it in the NIV at
Biblegateway.com.
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 December
1
Read:
Isaiah 11:1-10
There is something inexpressibly sad about
seeing the stump of a great tree. The rings bear witness to years of growth
and seasons of sun and shade. The circumference tells a story of strength
and majesty now past. But once in a while nature adds a postscript to the
story, a shoot of new growth springs up out of a stump.
Isaiah's words are a kind of postscript
to the story of King David. David was the "great tree" that originally sprang
from the "roots" of his father Jesse. In the prophet Isaiah's time, it looked
as if that tree had been, if not felled, at least seriously damaged. God's
people were terribly sad, because they knew that there would never be another
king as great as David.
And yet Isaiah hints of a wonderful hope.
"A shoot shall come up from the stump of Jesse," he writes. What's more,
that shoot promises to be even greater than the original tree. For centuries
God's people clung to this wonderful hope, waiting for that shoot to appear.
Join them. Watch and wait for the Shoot of Jesse to come to you this Advent
Season.
Ponder & Pray: What lies dead
or damaged in your life from which God wants to bring a new shoot?
back to
top
 December
2
Read:
John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; Romans
8:18-23
As God the Spirit hovered over the deep,
God the Father birthed our very existence through the creative power of God
the Son, Jesus Christ. His hands placed stars in the sky, put planets in
orbit and filled the Earth with life.
As each work of His hand was perfectly placed,
God declared them good. Until He created man. This bit of creation was done
differently. This creature was made in Their image, the image of the Trinity.
He breathed soul into man. And this time He declared creation very good.
How long this goodness lasted, we don't
know. But soon thereafter, man and woman, the pinnacle of God's handiwork,
turned and marred all the rest. Virtually from the beginning of time, all
that was created longed for the healing hand of its Creator. He has promised
to come. We can hear Him as His message breaks through what remains of His
perfect creation. Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world
God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made…"
Creation joins us as we wait for our
Deliverer.
Ponder & Pray: What do you see
of Jesus today as you look at His creation?
back to
top
 December
3
Read:
Genesis 3
Hide & Seek is an ancient game. The
first round was played in the Garden of Eden. Satan hid in a serpent and
snuck into paradise breathing his venomous lies. Adam hid behind his wife
as the liar tempted her. After the cataclysmic bite, Adam and Eve used fig
leaves to hide from each other. And in the panic of the evening, they both
hid in the bushes from God. Even when confronted, the hiding continued as
Adam and Eve tried to hide from responsibility, throwing blame anywhere,
hoping it would stick to anyone but themselves.
In the game of Hide & Seek, there are
the hiders and there is the finder. God stepped into their game, put an end
to their fear, and found them. He set them back on their feet. He covered
their shame. And He promised to send One who would defeat the serpent that
had entrapped them.
The game of Hide and Seek continues. In
our shame and sin we try to hide. God, in His love, continues to find us
and point us to the One who will free us. This Advent, we wait for Jesus
who will come and declare, "Ollie, Ollie, In Come Free! Game Over."
Ponder & Pray: Has there been
any Hide & Seek going on in your life? Let God find you.
back to
top
 December
4
Read:
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:11-17; 8:1-3; 9:8-13
God looked at the earth after creation and
saw that indeed, "it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). But God took another
look several generations later and was grieved to the heart. Man, whom He
loved, had turned the world into an evil and ugly place. It doesn't take
long for sin to spoil a good thing.
The good news is that God is not willing
to give up on the world without a fight. The ark is only the first in a series
of lifeboats sent to save us from ourselves. The last and best is another
one made of wood: the cross. It, more than any of the others, lifts us up
above the raging waters of sin.
Not only does God never leave us without
a lifeboat, He never leaves us without a promise. That first day on dry ground,
Noah and his family looked up to see a rainbow arched across the sky, symbolizing
God's covenant with all mankind. God split light itself to show us His love
for us and how He values our lives.
As we continue to make our way up the Jesse
Tree, watch for the light that God shines through the ages calling us all
to that greatest of arks, the cross.
Ponder & Pray: What promises
of God have you seen fulfilled in your life?
back to
top
 December
5
Read:
Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6
God thinks big. This may not be immediately
obvious in Abraham's life, since it seems like God is choosing a single person,
or at most a single family, for a special blessing. But look again. "In you,"
God says to Abraham, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." And
later God promised this childless man that he would have descendants that
numbered with the stars.
Sometimes you have to start small, even
when you're thinking big. Acorns turn into oak trees; babies turn into grown-ups.
So God's small start with a single family has grown into something much bigger
than anyone could have guessed. Today several nations and people groups trace
their ancestry to Abraham. But more importantly, innumerable souls trace
their spiritual ancestry to this same man. Beginning here in Genesis 12,
God weaves a tapestry of promises through a family line that leads to Jesus
Christ, our Deliverer.
Do you suppose Abraham had any inkling that
so much would depend on his single act of faith? What if he had said, "No
thanks, I think I'd rather stay home"?
Ponder & Pray: What big things
might be riding on the small decisions you have made lately?
back to
top
 December
6
Read:
Genesis 21:1-7
Laughter bubbles up all around the story
of Isaac's birth. In previous passages both Abraham and Sarah have a good
laugh over the prospect of becoming parents in their old age. Isaac's name
even means "he laughed."
Finally, though, it is not the aged parents
or the blessed baby who laughs hardest or best. God's laughter of joy peals
throughout this passage as He blesses this elderly couple with the one thing
they thought they'd never have.
God gets the last laugh on us by consistently
surprising us with things that are far better than what we expect. His joyful
laughter rings throughout our lives as He works blessings into the places
where we weren't looking or where we'd given up hope.
And His laughter bubbles up all around the
Advent story. No one would have expected God to be born in a stable in an
obscure town, or cradled in a manger, either. What we expect and what God
plans are often at odds. But it's His way that always brings out true, joyful
laughter.
Ponder & Pray: Has God ever surprised
you with something that you would never have expected? What surprises might
God be working on even now? Are you willing to let God get the last
laugh?
back to
top
 December
7
Read:
Genesis 22:1-18
The journey to Mt. Moriah must have been
a nightmare for Abraham, not only because he loved his son, but because all
God's promises seemed to be hanging by a slender thread.
Mt. Moriah, where Jerusalem is today, was
a three day journey. What did Abraham ponder while each step brought him
closer to that mountaintop altar? Child sacrifice was tragically common,
and Abraham's offering of Isaac would only cover his own sins. But he walked
those three days in faith, believing that God would keep his promises concerning
Isaac, even through this.
Abraham's unswerving faith in God's promises
speaks powerfully about trust in the face of uncertainty and confusion. He
could not have known that God was asking him to do something that God would
do Himself when Jesus came as the Lamb of God many years later.
As we journey through Advent, let's walk
with Abraham in faith believing God will keep His promises.
Ponder & Pray: Have you ever
been in a situation where there seemed to be no way out? Were you able to
trust God to show you the way?
back to
top
December 8
Read:
Genesis 28:10-22
Isaac had probably grown up hearing about
how he was the child of the promise. But what had Isaac and Rebekah's sons,
Jacob and Esau, grown up hearing? Were they the children of the promise?
Or was one of them to be chosen over the other?
It was the perfect setup for sibling rivalry
on a grand scale. Small wonder that this passage opens with Jacob running
away from home with Esau in hot pursuit.
We assume that when Jacob fluffed his stony
pillow that night at Bethel, his mind was primarily on survival. But God
had more in mind. The dream we now call "Jacob's Ladder" was God's way of
announcing to Jacob that the promise would indeed pass through him.
God often comes to us during our low times,
when we're weak and lonely. Listen to God's Words to Jacob in verse 15: "I
am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you
back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised
you."
Ponder & Pray: Have you ever
looked back at an experience and said, "Surely the LORD was in this and I
did not know it!"?
back to
top
December 9
Read:
Genesis 37:1-36; 50:15-21
As we climb the Tree of Jesse, we meet Jacob's
twelve sons. We don't have to read very far to realize that sibling rivalry
is still a problem!
It's a wonder God could work through such
a dysfunctional family. But here is something encouraging to us. By whom
He chooses to be part of His lineage. God shows us again and again that He
uses us as we are, even when we're riddled with imperfection. If this were
our family tree, we'd be tempted to hide many of them in the closet. But
this genealogy also shows that God can help us to grow through some of our
mistakes. The tears and forgiveness at the end of this story are a far cry
from the jealousy and plots at the beginning. Joseph and his brothers have
obviously learned some lessons.
The real wonder in this story is summed
up in Joseph's awestruck observation, "You intended to harm me, buy God intended
it for good" (50:20). God is still in the business today of taking the terrible
and working it into something beautiful. Just like He took a death on the
cross and turned it into a glorious resurrection.
Ponder & Pray: What negative
experience from your past is God reworking into good?
back to
top
December
10
Read:
Exodus 12:17-28
The Jewish year and God's unveiling of
redemption begins here at Passover. As the Israelites were redeemed from
their Egyptian slavery, God was foreshadowing what He would do for all mankind
through His Son, Jesus Christ.
During Passover in Jesus' day, a lamb was
chosen by the high priest outside of Jerusalem on the tenth of Nisan. Then
the priest would lead this lamb into the city while crowds of worshippers
lined the streets waving palm branches and singing Psalm 118, "Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the LORD."
Jesus our Messiah entered Jerusalem this
same day, on a donkey, probably right behind the High Priest's procession.
The crowds that had just heralded the entrance of the sacrificial lamb heralded
the entrance of the Lamb of God. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, His entry fulfilled
prophecy.
God has always required a life for a life:
The animals who gave their skins to cover Adam & Eve, the lamb whose
blood covered the doorposts, our Deliverer who gave his life for ours.
Ponder & Pray: Has the blood
of Jesus been applied to the doorposts of your life?
back to
top
 December
11
Read:
Exodus 20:1-17
May I see some identification, please?"
We're used to this question in our culture. People ask it at airports, at
grocery stores, and at movie theaters.
God introduces the Ten Commandments with
some identification, not because anyone has demanded it, but because it is
a powerful way of putting the commandments in context. "I am the Lord your
God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery," God begins.
Everything that follows is based on that past history, that past relationship.
It was God's desire that the Israelites
accept and obey His commandments out of response for what He had done in
their midst. Their obedience was to be an expression of love and thanksgiving.
When we choose to obey, we are really saying "Thank you" to God for what
has already been done for us.
When we identify ourselves as Christians
we are referencing what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.
Ponder & Pray: Have you ever
thought about obedience as a response to God's goodness? What difference
might it make in your attitude towards His commands?
back to
top
December 12
Read:
Joshua 2
It may come as a surprise that Rahab should
show up in Jesus' genealogy. It isn't logical that the Son of God's lineage
would contain a woman engaged in prostitution. But Matthew stubbornly includes
her (Matthew 1:5), and other New Testament writers sing her praises as well
(see Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25).
Rahab is an example of a simple equation
at work: faith being credited as righteousness. After lowering that scarlet
cord for the Israelite spies, Rahab found a new family, a new home and became
a hero. She was freed from her prison of prostitution and impending death
after she acted in faith.
We so often require people to change before
we're willing to accept them. God doesn't seem to have that problem. When
on earth, Jesus consistently kept company with those similar to his
great-grandmother, "tax collectors and sinners." Why? Because He knew what
His power combined with simple faith could do to free them.
Ponder & Pray: What standards
do we use to measure someone's worth? Are you seeing people through Jesus'
eyes?
back to
top
 December 13
Read:
Ruth 1:15-2:3
Ruth was a Moabitess, from a nation of people
cursed by God because of their perverse beginnings, (the union between Lot
and his daughter) and their pagan beliefs. Yet we find Ruth as one of God's
chosen in the lineage of His Son.
The story of Ruth is one of unconditional
love, dedicated faith, and steadfast loyalty. "Where you go, I will go, and
where you stay, I will stay." When Ruth said these words to her mother-in-law
Naomi, after the deaths of both their husbands, she could not realize what
effect these words would have on the future of the world.
By following her mother-in-law, she met
and married her husband and gave birth to Obed, father of Jesse. And if we
follow the family tree even further, remembering that Jesus is a "shoot"
from that same "stump"…well, you get the picture.
Frederick Buechner says that "a coincidence
is just God's way of remaining anonymous." That is the kind of coincidence
we encounter in this story. When it says that Ruth "happens" onto a part
of the field belonging to Boaz, we can imagine that God is smiling behind
the scenes.
Ponder & Pray: Have you had any
divine coincidences lately?
back to
top
December 14
Read:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Though you won't find Samuel in the genealogies
of Jesus, you will find him included in most Jesse Trees. Why? Because God
used Samuel and his ram's horn of oil to anoint the king, foreshadowing the
coming King, our Messiah.
Samuel risked his life, stepped out in faith
and obedience and headed to Jesse's place. The encounter reads a bit like
a beauty contest. But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and God was
the beholder. Samuel was ordered to see the "contestants" through the eyes
of God, who "does not see as mortals see." Mortals, we are reminded, "look
on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
Raising his horn, Samuel pours the thick
oil over David's head, ceremonially and spiritually consecrating this child
for God's holy work. A shepherd king symbolizing the future Shepherd King,
the Ancient of Days.
What did God see in David's young heart?
He didn't see a perfect heart, but He did see that same faith which was present
in Rahab and Ruth and Abraham. It was credited to him as righteousness.
Ponder & Pray: What does God
see in your heart? He doesn't look for perfection, but for faith.
back to
top
December 15
Read:
2 Samuel 5:1-5
When the quill pen scratched its way across
the surface of the paper at Appomattox Court House, the world knew it signaled
the end of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln aptly observed, "A nation divided
against itself cannot stand" echoing Scripture.
When David made a covenant with Israel at
Hebron, the people of Israel and Judah knew it signaled the end of their
civil war as well. North and South had been pitted against each other in
a bitter blood feud. With David crowned as king of both, the healing could
begin. Sadly, their covenant only lasted through two kings, then war began
again among brothers. Conditions remain the same today: Nation against nation,
brother against brother. And all treaties and covenants only last for a
time.
This Advent we look forward to the day when
Jesus Christ will be crowned "King of Kings" (Rev. 19:16). The healing has
already begun with His resurrection. On that great day it will be complete.
"Nation will not take up sword against nation; neither will they train for
war any more" (Isaiah 2:4).
Ponder & Pray: Picture the King
of Kings walking into today's political scene and bringing peace. Pray for
His return!
back to
top
December 16
Read:
Isaiah 9:2-7
As we climb higher on the Tree of Jesse,
we meet some of the great prophets. Though they were not in the lineage of
Christ, God used their pens to communicate greater details of the Promised
One.
As Isaiah recorded today's Scripture reading,
some think he was penning a prayer of praise for a newborn royal-heir. The
Kingdom of Judah was decimated. Many hopes were pinned on an infant king.
This baby's birth signaled that the promise to David was still alive.
But as Isaiah penned this prayer, God took
control and made it into something much bigger: A praise for the King yet
to come who would truly rescue Israel from its darkness.
Leadership change can be an exciting time.
It holds the promise of a new day and a release from oppression. Isaiah and
his contemporaries were looking for the restoration of all Israel. But human
leadership rarely measures up to our hopes. Praise God for the hope of our
coming King, the Light that shatters the darkness.
Ponder & Pray: Have your hopes
been disappointed by human leaders? How can you place your trust in the true
King?
back to
top
December
17
Read:
Isaiah 11:6-9
Today we revisit the passage where we started
Advent. In verses one and two we're promised that a "shoot" will come from
the "stump of Jesse". It isn't possible in nature for the shoot of a tree
to be stronger than the original. The growth is stunted and its trunk is
weak.
Today we're surprised again. Can a wolf
and lamb lie together? At least not without a dinner invitation! Calves and
lions are unlikely roommates. Toddlers in the proximity of poisonous snakes
make us nervous, to say the least.
But the whole point of this passage is that
God is concocting something greater than nature as we know it. He promises
a day when the world will be turned on its ears. From mankind, stretching
all the way through the animal kingdom, violence will be no more.
In that day, "the earth will be full of
the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." We see a glimmer
of the power of the "knowledge of the LORD" in our changed lives. The surprising
"shoot" from Isaiah will come work the same redeeming power over all the
Earth!
Ponder & Pray: How has the knowledge
of the Lord changed you? How can you seek more knowledge of Him?
back to
top
December 18
Read:
Habakkuk 2:1-4
Habakkuk spent the first chapter of his
book in a rant. Life wasn't fair. Violence surrounded him. The wicked were
on the winning side and Habakkuk wanted to know what God had to say for Himself.
So he planted his feet on the ramparts of the city and fired off prayers
of angry protest.
We have to give Habakkuk credit for candor.
We've probably felt the same way at times, but have been afraid to say so.
We half expect lightning to strike him off his watchtower. But instead God
sends him a vision and orders him to write it down in a size fit for a
billboard.
Justice and peace will prevail, proclaims
the vision. In the meantime, wait in faith. Habakkuk joins the few entrusted
with this message of the promised Deliverer. And from his watchtower, he
switches gears. He no longer waits for God to defend Himself. Habakkuk now
waits for the great Defender.
It is not easy to wait. But it will be worth
it. We have God's Word on that. So we might as well make ourselves comfortable
up there on the watchtower with Habakkuk.
Ponder & Pray: Has there been
a time when you've waited for God to keep a promise? What was accomplished
in the waiting?
back to
top
December 19
Read:
Micah 5:1-5a
Bethlehem is an unlikely place for the birth
of royalty. The village was so small and insignificant, that it didn't make
the list of 100 or so towns allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:21-63). David's
birth there hundreds of years earlier hadn't done much for tourism. Bethlehem
was still a backwoods shepherd's town.
But there was a group that looked favorably
on the region: Temple priests. Their flock of Passover lambs grazed the hills
surrounding Bethlehem, watched by the Temple's own shepherds. God must have
looked down favorably too. Because He let Micah in on the secret: The Deliverer
would come from humble Bethlehem.
The Lamb of God would come from among the
Passover lambs. The Good Shepherd would come from the territory of the Temple's
own. The King of Kings would hail from the humble home of King David.
For the benefit of those who watch and wait,
God injects meaning into every facet of His promises. He wants us to recognize
His Son. Let's join the Bethlehem shepherds and watch the lambs.
Ponder & Pray: What small,
insignificant thing in your life might God be using for something
bigger?
back to
top
December 20
Read:
Luke 1:5-25
Zechariah drew the lot. It was his turn
to enter the Holy Place and this was not a duty taken lightly. Only with
humility and trepidation did he enter. But his exit must have looked much
different than the entrance!
Maybe it looked like a grand game of charades
when Zechariah stepped outside the sanctuary and tried to tell people the
good news. "Wait, wait--don't tell me! What does it sound like? How many
syllables?" This was news he'd been waiting for years to share, and now he
couldn't say a word.
But Gabriel was as good as his word. Even
though Zechariah and Elizabeth were "getting on in years," they conceived
a child. When the birth announcements at last came out, the baby would be
known as John the Baptist.
Actually the aged parents were not the only
ones waiting for this baby. Malachi had dropped hints about another "Elijah"
who prepared the way for the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6). Gabriel had used these
very words to describe their new son. When Zechariah found his tongue, he
must have known this news would leave everyone speechless.
Ponder & Pray: What Good News
do you have to share? Be thankful you don't have use charades!
back to
top
December 21
Read:
Matthew 3:1-6
For centuries sacred art has symbolized
John the Baptist with a shell. The three accompanying water drops represent
the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - into which Christians are baptized.
Why didn't the church fathers choose a grasshopper?
Probably because if we saw somebody on the
street corner wearing an outlandish outfit and eating grasshoppers, we would
give him a wide berth. What was the attraction in John the Baptist's day?
Was it just morbid curiosity that drew people into the wilderness to see
him? Or was there something more at stake?
The answer is not simple. Morbid curiosity
may have motivated some. But that does not account for people lined up for
baptism in the Jordan River.
Something about John must have rung true.
He looked like a prophet, he sounded like a prophet, and he fit the Old
Testament's description of a very particular prophet that would show up to
announce the Messiah. Most of all, he gave people a chance to "come clean"
about their sins.
Ponder & Pray: Follow John to
the river today. Allow the "washing with water through the word" to prepare
your heart for the Messiah.
back to
top
December 22
Read:
Luke 1:26-38
We assume Mary was a well-grounded young
woman, a deep thinker. She processed events around her and considered them
seriously. Twice in Scripture we're told that she pondered or treasured things
in her heart.
But none of that could have prepared her
for Gabriel's announcement. What had she been doing before he showed up?
Tidying up the breakfast dishes? Making a grocery list? Booking the caterer
for her wedding?
Whatever routine was interrupted that day,
it is certain that life as she knew it was over. Nothing would ever be "normal"
again for Mary.
Not that it was all bad. But it was different.
Stunningly, terrifyingly different. No wonder she asked the angel a rather
pointed question. The real wonder is that she didn't ask more, or that she
agreed to go along with it at all.
We often think of Jesus' mother as "gentle
Mary meek and mild." But the young woman in this passage is made of much
stronger stuff. It took incredible courage to submit to becoming the mother
of God's Son.
Ponder & Pray: What step of courage
is God asking of you today?
back to
top
December 23
Read:
Matthew 1:18-25
We don't know much about the earthly father
of Jesus. We do know that he was of the royal line of David, but that was
of little worth in his day. We know he was a working man, a carpenter. And
we know that he was a man of compassion.
But this news must have taxed every ounce
of compassion within him. What was Joseph supposed to think? His fiancée
was pregnant, and he knew he wasn't the father. Some men would have given
free reign to ego and anger. But not Joseph. He resolved to break the engagement
quietly to spare Mary from public disgrace.
Of course he would not have been able to
protect her forever. Another nine months would have the tale told in all
the scandal sheets. This whole episode must have grieved him to distraction.
It's a wonder he could fall asleep long enough to have the heaven-sent dream.
But dream he did. And when he woke up, he followed the angel's orders--which
tells us one more thing about Joseph. He was a man of faith.
Ponder & Pray: Joseph made logical
conclusions but God revealed the reality. Have you jumped to conclusions
ahead of God?
back to
top
 December 24
Read:
Luke 2:1-20
We have read the story so often that we
forget to be shocked. But everywhere, everyone was shocked. The smells. The
sights. It all seemed so wrong.
Without Emperor Augustus' edict, Mary would
have had her baby at home safe in bed. But instead Mary and Joseph find dismal
shelter in a stable. As her labor increased they prepared the only bed available,
a manger. They must have wondered if God had His wires crossed. Surely the
birth of the Messiah shouldn't be like this!
Dirty, smelly shepherds were their first
visitors. Shouldn't it have been the High Priest? Where was the fanfare and
rejoicing? But no, God had sent lowly shepherds to welcome the Christ
child.
The long wait concluded in such an anticlimactic
way: In an obscure place, in the worst of conditions, and alone. We surround
Jesus' birth in pageantry, rightly so. But this Advent, let's look past the
wrappings and be reminded that His birth was much like His death: To the
waiting it seemed oh, so wrong.
Ponder & Pray: For today, pretend
you've never read this story before. Read it again…and brace yourself.
back to
top
December 25
Read:
John 1:1-18
Our long awaited Deliverer is come! The
Word is flesh. The Glory is visible. Grace and Truth walks among us. The
whole creation cries out with us in praise of this Redeemer Babe. Hallelujahs
ring throughout the ages from the faithful! Let us join the rejoicing and
worship His Holy Name!
Our last Jesse Tree symbol is based on His
name, The Christ, XPICTOC in ancient Greek. The Chi Ro symbol, the oldest
monogram referring to Christ, uses the first two letters of His Greek name,
X (Chi) and P (Rho) combined to make the first symbolic cross.
But the Chi Ro cannot contain Him. The Jesse
Tree with all those who waited can not describe Him. On this glorious day
of our Savior's birth, can we truly understand Him? As we read earlier, let
us rejoice and worship His Holy Name - rather Names!
Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The
Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, The Lamb of God, Master, Teacher,
Messiah, Shepherd, Brother, Son of David, Son of God, Son of Man, Alpha and
Omega, The Beginning and The End, Bright and Morning Star, Advocate, Bread
of Life, Light of the World, Bridegroom, Captain of Salvation, Consolation
of Israel, Our Portion, Desire of All Nations, Day Spring, The End of the
Law, First-Begotten of the Dead, Faithful Witness, Second Adam, Foundation,
Fortress, Fountain of Living Waters, Holy One of Israel, High Priest, Head
of the Body, Hope of Israel, Hiding Place, Horn of Salvation, Our Hope,
Incorruptible, Intercessor, Immanuel, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, King
of the Jews, King of Glory, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The Lamb that was
Slain, Lord of the Sabbath, Our Righteousness, The Lamb of God, Lord of the
Harvest, Messiah, Chosen One, Messenger of the Covenant, Manna, Nazarene,
Offspring of David, Only Begotten Son of God, Only Wise God, Our Passover,
Preserver of Men, Pearl of Great Price, The Great Physician, Kinsman-Redeemer,
Refiner's Fire, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, Rock of Ages, Refuge
from the Storm, Root Out of a Dry Ground, Star of Jacob, Stone of Stumbling,
Stronghold, Shield, Sword, Sanctuary, Servant, Son of the Highest, Vine,
Witness, Word of God, Wisdom of God, The Way, The Truth, The Life, Sun of
Righteousness.
Though we have climbed to the top of the
Tree of Jesse, our wait is truly not over, not really. Many aspects of our
redemption will only be fulfilled in His Second Coming. And so we remain
with the ancients on Habakkuk's watchtower with our faces turned to the sky,
awaiting our Deliverer. Amen - even so come, Lord Jesus!
Ponder & Pray: Choose a name
or two to reflect on and let it catapult you into worship this Christmas
Day!
back to
top
|
