Today, December 5 is our 5th day into the Jesse Tree activity, illustrated by our own Steven Buttry!

So far, we have colored the Globe, Apple, Ark, Tent, and Sheep. 

Day 1 – The Globe based on Genesis 1:1-26 that tells the story of Creation. In the Bible story, God creates a part of the world each day of the week until He came to the 7th day. This is the day He rested and he asked His people later on to rest on that day too when he gave us the 10 Commandments.

Day 2 – The Apple and the Snake – Based on Genesis Chapter 3, this represents the fall of humans. God created us and gave us free will. Our first parents, Adam and Eve were told not to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. When they disobeyed, they then hid from God instead of owning up to it, and when they did speak to God, they blamed each other. These sins brought suffering and death to humanity. But God did not abandon us. He helped us grow every step of the way and would send us a savior so we can be with Him forever in Heaven. 

Day 3 – The Ark and the Rainbow – In Genesis 6-9 we read about the story of Noah and the Ark. We learn how sinful man had become. God said he would send a flood to cleanse the earth but saw how good Noah was. God told Noah to prepare for the flood by building an Ark. After the flood and when the waters receded, Noah and the animals exited the Ark. In Genesis 9:13 God tells him that the rainbow in the clouds is a sign of His covenant to never flood the Earth again. We can also relate this story to our own baptism. Just like God washed away sin back then, He washes away our sin and claims us as His child. 

Day 4: The Symbol of the Tent reminds us of the story in Genesis 12:1-7. This is when God makes a promise to Abram (later named Abraham). He tells Abram that he will make Abram a great nation and that he will give Abram and his nation the Promised Land. 

Day 5 – The Symbol of the Sheep – In Genesis 22:1-14 we read about a tough test God bestowed on Abraham. Isaac was Abraham’s only son and God promised Abraham a great nation from his children. When we read the next part of the story, we read that God asks Abraham to give up his only son. However, Abraham had strong faith in God. He know what God had promised. He knew that both he and Isaac would return safely. In fact, in Genesis 22:5, he told his servant who walked with them to the mountain that he and Isaac would be back after they worshipped God. 

Then, when he and Isaac were walking to the spot, Isaac asked where the sheep was that they were to offer to God. Abraham told him immediately that God would provide the sheep. At the very last moment of the test, God stopped Abraham. Just then, Isaac and Abraham found the sheep that God had provided.