For this final week of Advent Song Reflections we will be using Scripture from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. You can read about the service of Lessons and Carols here.
Words of Reflection
A popular image in medieval Christian art was something known as the “Jesse Tree,” which would depict salvation history as a tree of many branches, each branch telling a story from the Bible. The final branch, of course, would be the coming of Christ, which led to Jesse Trees being a popular symbol at Christmas time. The idea of representing God’s work of salvation with a tree was inspired by the prophecy in Isaiah 11 that we often hear during Advent:
“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”—Isaiah 11:1 (NRSV)
Jesse Trees would often feature in the stained glass of cathedrals, with one of the most famous being found in Chartres Cathedral in France, dating from the 12th century:
For these medieval artists, the use of a tree to symbolize God’s plan of salvation had a dual meaning. Not only did it refer back to Isaiah’s prophecy, but it also echoed a tree that appears much later in the story—the cross of Christ. For these artists Jesus was the blossom of the tree in both his birth and his death. In his birth, he fulfills the prophecy of lineage from Isaiah 11. In his death, he fulfills the prophecy of sacrifice from Isaiah 53, a passage that has similar imagery:
“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”—Isaiah 53:2 (NIV)
The Jesse Tree continues to inspire artists today, and features in a modern stained glass window dedicated in 2019 in the city cathedral of Glasgow, Scotland:
Photo by Melanie Ehsan
You can read some words from the artist about the Glasgow Cathedral window’s design here, but there was one quote from her that really caught my attention:
“It has been said that there is a scarlet thread that runs through the whole Bible. One example is the account of Rahab who tied a scarlet thread in her window – she and her household were saved when Jericho was destroyed. In this window, this ribbon of red glass represents the redeeming blood of Christ.”—Emma Butler-Cole Aiken
The ribbon of red in her design is striking, and it provides us with a powerful reminder of why Jesus came: that we might be redeemed. In her window, the tree of Jesse becomes the tree of Calvary, and to sit in the shadow of both is to see both the plan of God and the love of God displayed.
Reading for Monday: Isaiah 11: 1-4a; 6 (NRSV)
The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
Song: Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming (lyrics here)
Questions for Contemplation:
What images from Isaiah 11 capture your attention? Why? As you contemplate the the peace that the coming of the Savior brings, what does it stir in your soul?
What stories from salvation history have spoken powerfully to you in your life? What characters from the Bible has God used to communicate his love to you? Spend some time in gratitude for the stories of Scripture that reveal who God is and how much he loves us.
The final verse of the carol is rich with poetic imagery and theological depth: the sweet flower from Jesse’s lineage is also the light that dispels the darkness. The incarnate Son of God is the one who saves us from sin and helps us with our burdens. Spend some time in prayer with these truths and ask God to root them deeper in your life as Christmas approaches.
More Carols
Sometimes in a Lessons and Carols service you will hear more than one carol given in response to a particular reading. During this week, you will find in this section after the devotional some additional carols that connect to the passage we’ve been sitting with for that day.
There is a Flower (lyrics here)
The Isaiah Carol (lyrics here)