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The Advent Jesse Tree
Devotions for Children and Adults to Prepare for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas
By Dean Meador Lambert, Ginger Meador Abingdon Press
Copyright © 1988 Dean Meador Lambert
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4267-2817-4
CHAPTER 1
DAY ONE
The Light in Creation
Symbol: a globe or picture of the Earth
Memory Verse: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." GENESIS 1:1
Hymns to Sing:
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"
"All Things Bright and Beautiful"
"How Great Thou Art"
"This Is My Father's World"
THE LIGHT IN CREATION
(CHILDREN)
Scriptures: Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-4
Devotion: Did you see something wonderful today? (Name some things.) The big round world that we live on is wonderful. (Show symbol) Do you know who made that world and everything around us? (God) Let's look in our Bible and see. (Read Genesis 1:1)
Before that beginning there was no round world. In fact, the world was once as dark as night, and you couldn't see anything. But God was there. He has always been, and when God said, "Let there be light," there was light!
Did you know that Jesus was there with God when the world was made? Let's look again in our Bible. (John 1:1-4) Jesus is our Light. There was light in the world so we could know Him and love Him and praise Him!
After He made the beautiful earth, God made a man named Adam and a woman named Eve. They lived in a beautiful garden with all the animals. When God looked at all He had created, He thought everything was very good!
Questions:
"What did the world look like in the beginning?" (no animals, seas, darkness, etc.)
"Was God there in the darkness?"
"Who made the world, Adam and Eve, and everything?"
"Who is our Light?"
Prayer: Father in Heaven, we belong to Thee because You made us and our world. We thank You for creating such a beautiful place for us to live.
Most of all we thank You for Jesus, who was born a little baby to be our Light of the World so we could know and love You. Amen. (Would you like to thank Him for some things He has made for you?)
THE LIGHT IN CREATION
(ADULTS)
Scriptures: Genesis 1 and 2; John 1:1-4, 17:5, 24; Colossians 1:16, 17; Psalm 150
Devotion: In Genesis One, we have the first teaching of the Trinity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all being a part of the Creation. This is made more evident to us as the scriptures above reveal. We can also apply the creation story to our lives spiritually. Outside of God, life has no purpose. We are in darkness. The Light comes when we give ourselves to Christ. Our lives now become meaningful because we have found our purpose--to glorify Him!
Prayer: Thank You God for Your beautiful world. Thank You for each person You have created in Your image. Most of all we thank You for Jesus, our Light and Life. Help us to rejoice in Your creation. May we never take advantage of the resources You have given us. Help us to be wise caretakers of Your world, eager to show Your Light through our lives with all people. Amen.
CHAPTER 2
DAY TWO
The First Sin
Symbol: an apple and a snake wrapped around it
Memory Verse: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way." ISAIAH 53:6
Hymns to Sing:
"Jesus Loves Me"
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
"Just as I Am"
THE FIRST SIN
(CHILDREN)
Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-10, 23; Isaiah 53:6
Devotion: When God first made the world He saw that everything was good, but now there are bad things in the world. Can you think of some bad things? (killing, being ugly, talking bad, etc.) Do you know how these bad things got into God's beautiful world? It was because of sin. Sin is not doing what God wants you to do, and the Bible says that Satan came into the world to make us turn away from God.
Do you know who Satan is? One of his names is the Devil, and he hates God and wants everyone else to hate God too. In the beginning Satan saw that the most wonderful of all God's works were Adam and Eve. He set out to make them disobey God. Do you know how he did it?
(Show symbol) He went into the beautiful garden where they were living and dressed up like a snake. There was one tree of fruit God had told Adam and Eve not to eat, and if they did, He had told them they would die. Satan came to Eve and lied to her. He told her she would not die, but instead she would be just like God. Eve listened to the lies of Satan. In fact, she and Adam both ate of the forbidden fruit!
Adam and Eve did what Satan wanted them to do. They disobeyed God and became sinners. Did they die? Their bodies did not die, but they would die in another way. They could not talk or walk with God. They were not able to live with Him in the garden. He sent them out to work and when they got old, their bodies then died.
The only way to get back to God was to take sin away. When all seemed hopeless, God found a Way for us to come back to Him. That very day God promised a Savior, Jesus, who would come and take sin away and bring us back to God. God loves us very much!
Questions:
"What is sin?" (Not doing what God tells us to do)
"Who is Satan?"
"How did Adam and Eve sin?"
"Are we sinners?" (Isaiah 53:6)
"How do we know God still loves us?" (He sent us Jesus)
Prayer: Dear God, we are so sorry we do wrong things. Just as Adam and Eve sinned, we are sinning every day. Help us to do what is right. Thank You for sending Jesus to us so our sins could be forgiven. Because of Your Love, we can now live close to You. Amen.
THE FIRST SIN
(ADULTS)
Scriptures: Genesis 3; 1 John 1:8-10; Isaiah 59:2; 53:6
Devotion: Recorded in Genesis is the beginning of sin, but also we see the first chapters in the history of God's redemptive plan. This is the substance of the whole Bible. From the beginning, humans have sought to exalt their own will above God's will. Yet God is eternally calling us to be with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. In Genesis 3:15, we have the promise of redemption for the sins of all of us. Today we can see this in the first promise of a Savior to come, foretelling the sufferings of Christ and the final victory over His enemy Satan. The Seed of the woman would crush the Serpent!
Prayer: We are sinful, O God. Keep us mindful that apart from You we are nothing. Thank You for loving us even in our sin and for providing a Way to be with You again. Teach us to watch over one another in love through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHAPTER 3
DAY THREE
Inside the Ark
Symbol: an ark with a rainbow
Memory Verse: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ROMANS 6:23
Hymns to Sing:
"Arky, Arky"
"Standing on the Promises"
INSIDE THE ARK
(CHILDREN)
Scriptures: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:17-23; 9:16; Romans 6:23
Devotion: Do you remember how Adam and Eve sinned and were sent out from the garden to work? After that, sin grew worse and worse. Soon there were many people who did not love God, and they were doing things God did not want them to do. This made God very unhappy! He decided to destroy all the bad people by sending a great flood! There was one man, however, who did love God and followed Him in all His ways. Do you remember his name? (Noah)
God told Noah to build an ark, which is a very big boat. If Noah was faithful, God would save his family. Sure enough, the flood came, and all the people outside the boat were drowned. Only those in the ark were saved.
Do you think you should be punished if you sin? Let's read what the Bible says about sin. (Romans 6:23) Those who do not turn to God will be lost forever, just like the people outside the ark, but God promised us life if we are in Jesus!
Do you remember what God used to show Noah He would always keep His promises? (rainbow) Whenever we see a rainbow, we will remember that God loves us and He keeps His promises! One of His promises is to give us Life forever in Jesus!
Questions:
"Why did God tell Noah to build a boat?"
"What happened to those who did not love God?"
"What will happen to us if we sin?"
"What does He promise us, if we love Him?"
"Does God keep His promises?"
Prayer: Dear Lord, we know we do bad things and deserve to be punished just like the wicked people of Noah's day. But we are so glad You promised to forgive our sins if we believe in Jesus. Thank You for the rainbow with its beautiful colors, and thank You that You keep all Your promises. In Jesus' name. Amen.
INSIDE THE ARK
(ADULTS)
Scriptures: Genesis 5-9:17; Romans 6:23; Joshua 23:14
Devotion: For thousands of years people had existed. The evil in man's nature had taken over and they had rejected God. The great catastrophe of the Flood was used as a means of judgment.
The ark was Noah's salvation just as Jesus is our ark. In Him alone can we be saved. In verse 14 of Genesis 6 the word "pitch" in the Hebrew literally means "atonement." The ark is the clearest type in the Old Testament of the believer's salvation found in Jesus Christ. A "type" is defined as a person, object, or event in the Old Testament regarded as foreshadowing a corresponding reality of the New Law in Christ. After the ark was completed, man was invited to enter. Jesus says, "Come unto Me." It is an invitation, not a command.
We then see the rainbow-symbol of a covenant between God and man. Promises are made by God and are eternal. They are always full of grace. We have the rainbow preaching the fact that for the sake of redemption the world is spared.
Prayer: Holy Lord God, we know we have grieved You many times by our selfishness and sin. We deserve destruction, but You have promised us salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. You even count us worthy to enter into a covenant with You. You have given us a reminder of Yourself, not in the furious thunder and lightning, but rather in the gentle rainbow following the storm. Thank You, Holy, Gentle God. May our lives be holier and gentler this Advent season, because we, too, have been saved by Your mercy. Amen.
CHAPTER 4
The Call to Abram
Symbol: a camel and a tent
Memory Verse: "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." GENESIS 12:3b
Hymns to Sing:
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"
"Trust and Obey"
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
THE CALL TO ABRAM
(CHILDREN)
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-7
Devotion: When we think of a camel and a tent, we think of people who travel a lot. Let me tell you about a man named Abraham. God loved Abraham and told him to leave his country and relatives to go to another country that he had never seen before. That's like going to live in another house without even looking at it! You would have to really trust God, wouldn't you?
That's what Abraham did. He crossed deserts where there was no water, and he lived in tents. When Abraham got to the land, God promised him that through his family, all the world would be blessed. Let's read that verse again. (Genesis 12:3) We are so glad Abraham obeyed God, because through him, Jesus was born!
Questions:
"What did God tell Abraham to do?"
"Would you have been afraid to travel to a strange, faraway land?"
"Did Abraham obey?"
"Because of Abraham's faith, who did God promise would come from his family?" (Jesus)
Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You that Abraham had the faith to do what You wanted him to do. Because he obeyed, You blessed him with a new land and many children. Help us to obey You in all things. Amen.
THE CALL TO ABRAM
(ADULTS)
Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-7; Hebrews 11:8, Matthew 1:1
Devotion: The belief of Abram was a mighty act of faith. Abram was called to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's home, to go to another country which he would inherit. When God spoke to Abram, he believed, and when he believed, he obeyed. Abram left the Mesopotamian Valley and came as a pilgrim and a stranger into the promised land of Canaan. Hebrews 11:8-9 states, "By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise."
What was that promise? In Genesis 17:5 God gave Abram a new name. The name Abraham means "Father of many nations." God wanted a people through whom He could work to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. The purpose of the founding of the Jewish nation was to bring forth the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer: You come to us in this Advent time, Yahweh, as You came to Abraham many years ago. You come to us with that same call—to be a people through whom others will be blessed. We pray that we will have that same faith to obey You in all things. Open our lives to live out Your calling. Come, Emmanuel, come. Amen.
CHAPTER 5
DAY FIVE
Isaac and the Lamb
Symbol: a lamb
Memory Verse: "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." JOHN 1:29b
Thought for the Day:
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part–
But, what I can I give Him. Give my heart.
Christina Rossetti
Hymns to Sing:
"Blessed Be the Name"
"My Faith Looks up to Thee"
"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
Question to Ponder: Is Jesus your Lamb?
ISAAC AND THE LAMB
(CHILDREN)
Scriptures: Genesis 22:1-13; John 1:29b
Devotion: Do you remember when God promised Abraham many people in his family? God gave Abraham a boy named Isaac, and one day God told Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain and kill him. This was a special opportunity for Abraham to show his complete trust and love in God. Abraham took a knife out to kill his son, Isaac, and then suddenly God told him to stop. He told Abraham to look in the bushes, and when he did, do you know what he found? (a lamb) God told Abraham to let the lamb take Isaac's place. Isaac lived, but the lamb had to die.
Do you know who our Lamb is? (Jesus) Let's read again in our Bible. (John 1:29) Jesus took our place on the cross, just as the lamb took Isaac's place, so we could live. He had no sin at all, but He placed our sins on Himself and died for us. Let's thank God for that right now.
Prayer: God, we thank You that You loved us enough at Christmas to give what was dearest to You, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for our Lamb, Jesus. Amen.
Questions:
"What did God tell Abraham to do?"
"Why did God tell him to do this?"
"Did Isaac die? What happened?"
"Who is our Lamb?"
ISAAC AND THE LAMB
(ADULTS)
Scriptures: Genesis 22:1-19; Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; I Peter 1:19
Devotion: Knowing the will of God is one thing. Doing it is another. The call from God to kill Isaac was the greatest test of Abraham's mature faith. Because of Abraham's trust in the character of God, our Jehovah was able to provide an example of the Doctrine of Atonement. He was preparing the people for what Christ would one day do for them. In Chapter 22 of Genesis, we see substitutionary atonement, in which another animal takes the place of a human. The ram caught in the thicket is but a symbol of our Savior, Jesus. From this sacrifice on Mount Moriah, we see prefigured the sacrifice of the Son of God at Calvary. By his blood we are made righteous!
It is interesting to note that the place Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac (Mt. Moriah) was the exact mountain in Jerusalem where Solomon's temple was built. When Christ died on Calvary, the veil of the Temple was torn, symbolizing the final end of the sacrificial system. Today the Moslem mosque, the Dome of the Rock, is located on this site.
Prayer: Jehovah, we know You provide all things for us. Teach us to give these blessings—our health, talents, family, friends, and jobs to You when You ask for them. Thank You for a man like Abraham who trusted Your love so completely. Thank You, even more, that You gave what was dearest to You—Jesus, Your Son. Amen.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Advent Jesse Tree by Dean Meador Lambert, Ginger Meador. Copyright © 1988 Dean Meador Lambert. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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