Podcast Episode Details

The Bible: God’s Story in the Advent Season

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Season 10 Episode 10

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Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar – Day 10

On Day 10 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve and James focus on the most important book in the Christian faith, the Bible.
You will hear how Scripture tells the big story of God’s rescue plan and how a simple family tradition called a Jesse Tree can help you trace that story from creation all the way to the birth of Jesus.

If you are following along with the Advent series, you can always find episodes and show notes on the
Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar page.
To explore even more Christmas customs and their meanings, visit
WhyChristmas.com.

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What You’ll Hear Today

• Welcome back to Day 10 – Steve opens the door on the second Sunday in Advent and introduces today’s focus on the Bible.
• The Bible at the heart of Christmas – A clear, simple overview of what the Bible is, how it is put together, and why it matters for Advent.
• Old and New Testaments – How the Old Testament looks forward to the promised Messiah and the New Testament tells the story of Jesus and his first followers.
• What is a Jesse Tree – James explains how Jesse Trees grew out of Isaiah’s prophecy about a branch from the stump of Jesse and how they help us see Jesus in the whole Bible.
• Jesse Tree ornaments and symbols – Practical examples of ornaments that point to key Bible stories, from creation to the Christmas story.
• The Bible as a manual for life – Steve closes by reminding us that Scripture is more than a dusty rulebook, it is a life-giving book and the best-seller in history.

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The Bible and the Big Story of Advent

Today’s door in the Advent Calendar represents the Bible. Steve explains that Scripture is not a single book but a library of sixty-six books, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek over roughly fifteen hundred years.
The Old Testament tells the story of God’s creation, the calling of Israel, and the promise of a Messiah. The New Testament announces that Jesus is that promised Messiah and records the lives of his first followers.

James then introduces the idea of a Jesse Tree, rooted in Isaiah’s prophecy: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a branch will bear fruit.”
Because Jesus is a descendant of King David, Christians see him as that new branch of life and hope. In the Middle Ages, churches used Jesse Tree carvings, tapestries, and stained glass to teach the Bible to people who could not read.
Today, families can use a Jesse Tree as a kind of Advent calendar that walks through the story of Scripture.

You can use a regular Christmas tree or a banner shaped like a tree. Each day in Advent, you hang a new ornament that tells a different Bible story.
Over the weeks, your tree becomes a visual timeline that leads your family toward Bethlehem and the manger.
For more ideas, James points you to the
Jesse Tree page in the Christmas Customs section at WhyChristmas.com.

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Jesse Tree Ornament Ideas

James shares several simple symbols you can use on a Jesse Tree:

• Garden of Eden – An apple or an apple tree.
• Noah – A rainbow to remember God’s promise.
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  Published on 2 weeks, 3 days ago