The Jesus Tree

He's the "reason for the season!"  

Seriously, we've heard it so many times I wonder if we actually think about who "He" is.  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping... that has now turned into Thanksgiving-night-shopping-because-Friday-isn't-soon-enough.... to the do-I-say-happy-holidays-or-merry-christmas... to the counting and wrapping of the gifts... oh wait!   did I get the same number of gifts for this child as I did that child and was it the same amount of money?  I sometimes stop to ask myself, do we even know who's birth we celebrate? 

As much as I love to give AND receive gifts, I get a little turned off by all "I want" business at Christmas... and sometimes it's my own "I wants" that turn me off the most.  Sad, I know.  That's just one reason I was so excited to start a new tradition with my family last year that more than acknowledges

WHY WE HAVE CHRISTMAS 

but 

WHO-WE-ARE-CELEBRATING!  

Before I begin, I must give credit where credit is due.  I did not think of this wonderful idea on my own.  I am not generally an idea person.  My dear friend, Jana, and her husband, who is the Children's Ministry Pastor at our wonderful church came up with this idea and shared it with me.  They have a tree that they do at their house like this and they provided me with a list that I needed to do it.  They are totally the brains behind this business and I'm so grateful to them for sharing with me!

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce my Jesus Tree:

I found the actual tree this week at Michael's... on sale for just $35 when it was normally $89.  Gotta love that!  Despite the fabulous bargain, that's not my favorite part, however.  It's the journey we are taking to find just the right ornaments to place on this tree.   You see, not just any ornament will due.  Each ornament must in some way symbolize a name for Jesus from scripture. 


For example, in Romans 6:23 it says:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

So this ornament in the shape of a gift is to remind us that our eternal life was not earned by us, nor do we deserve it but it is a gift from God.  

In Acts 4:12, we learn that Jesus is the key to being saved:

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

In Revelation 22:16, Jesus calls himself the "Bright Morning Star"

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. 

I am the bright morning star.”

 

In John 10:9, Jesus said:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.

I couldn't find a door but decided that the opening of the lock would suffice until I found an actual door.

As I was looking over my list, I know that I will add at least two additional ornaments to the tree this year.  There is the cutest red lantern at Michael's that has caught my eye several times (yes, I've been there several times just this week!) and I will use it to represent Psalms 118:14:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

I also have an old grapevine wreath in the basement that I am planning to take apart to use as garland, just like Jana has on hers, to represent John 15:1:

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

 

Last year I also found some cute tin ornaments that looked like presents and gave them to the kids' teachers with a list of names that Jana gave me and an explanation of the "Treasure Hunt" involved in this tradition.  They were both so excited!

 

Aside from the obvious learning about who Jesus is that I love about this tradition, I also love that it's not going to be complete for a while.  Each year we can take our list to the store and find something new.  It kind of reminds me about reading the bible.  I can read a passage that I've read a hundred times before and find something totally new.  We won't find every ornament this year but we'll keep looking and as we do, we'll begin to see the pretty ornaments of the tree as symbols of WHO we worship. 

So there it is.  Tradition #2 for the Peyton Family.  If you're interested in making your very own Jesus Tree, leave a comment and I'm happy to get the list to you!