What is the significance of a tree at Christmas?

Question

I feel like a hypocrite, I've put a Xmas tree up every year, without knowing the reason for having one.

Answer 1

While nearly everyone has a Christmas tree, there has been reluctance in some circles to incorporate Christmas trees into the church sanctuary, arising from suspicions about the pagan origin of the symbol. However, since the Christmas tree has become such a part of Christmas celebration around the world, it seems more important to give it some clearly Christian meaning.

Some churches do this with a service of the Hanging of the Greens. Some use a Chrismon™ Tree. Others use a tree, either at home or in the sanctuary, as a Jesse Tree. This is a tree, or a large banner with a symbolic tree, that is decorated each week, usually by the children, with ornaments or objects that represent Old Testament events from Creation to the Birth of Jesus. The ornaments are traditionally handmade, and are added one each day of Advent, or a group on each Sunday, with explanations of the symbols and a brief verse of Scripture from the story represented. Some churches choose to decorate the tree with small items of warm clothing as a way to minister to the needy in the community.

Some churches combine the idea of a Jesse Tree with a Chrismon™ Tree, making and using the Chrismons™ to correspond to the story of the Jesse Tree. However, the Jesse Tree is really an Advent Tree anticipating the coming of Christmas. So, it may be more instructive, especially for children, to allow the Jesse Tree to represent anticipation during Advent while letting a Chrismon™ Tree be the celebration of Christmas itself.

The Story of the Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. The Branch is a biblical sign of newness out of discouragement, which became a way to talk about the expected messiah (e.g., Jer 23:5). It is therefore an appropriate symbol of Jesus the Christ, who is the revelation of the grace and faithfulness of God.

The Israelites through the descendants of Abraham were chosen by God to be a light to the nations. When they were imprisoned by the Egyptians, they cried out to God for deliverance from their oppression. And God responded: "I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry . . . I have come to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them to a good land" (Exod 3:7-8). And so He entered history in a marvelous way to deliver them and bring them into a place where they could worship God and serve Him in peace and joy instead of serving Pharaoh in hard service. God promised to be with them and to be their God, and they would be His people.

But as they settled into the land that God had given them, "they forgot God, their Deliverer, who had done great things in Egypt" (Psa 106:21). As they grew secure in the land, they began to believe that "my power and the strength of my own hand have gotten me these things" (Deut 8:17). Even though God had raised up godly leaders like David, later kings and religious leaders served their own interests, and the people began to worship the false gods of the land. They even gave offerings to the idol ba’al, supposedly the god of rain and fertility of the land, thanking him for the prosperity they enjoyed.

But God grieved because "she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished upon her silver and gold that they used for ba’al" (Hos 2:8). God had "planted [them] as a choice vine from the purest stock" (Jer 2:21) and had expected them to grow and flourish and carry out His purposes in the world. But they had degenerated into a wild bush with worthless fruit.

Because they had forgotten God, they also forgot the call of God to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God" (Mic 6:8). God sent prophets to warn them of the consequences of failing to be His people. Amos warned them to "seek me and live" (5:4). Through Jeremiah, God promised them that if they would turn from their wicked ways He would bless them and be with them in the land (7:5-7). But he also said: "Take heed, O Jerusalem, or I shall turn from you in disgust, and make you a desolation" (6:8).

Some of the people longed for new leaders, a new "anointed" (Heb: meshiach; Eng: messiah) shepherd king like David who would help them to become what God had called them to be. But most of the people would not listen. They continued to worship the idols of ba'al. They continued to cheat the poor, steal from each other, neglect the needy, and do all manner of evil.

So God let them go their own way and suffer the consequences of their choices. The Babylonian armies came and destroyed the temple, the city of Jerusalem, the land, and took the people into slavery. The choice planting of God that had such promise, that God had tended so carefully and encouraged to grow, was cut down and became a mere stump (Isa 5:1-10).

But God did not give up on this people! Even though they had disobeyed, even though they had forsaken God for other gods, even though they had miserably failed to be His people and to let Him be their God, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob still loved them. He had made a commitment to these people that He would not allow to be undone even by their rejection of Him.

He had already told them this through the prophets, but they had not understood then. Jeremiah had promised a day when God would again plant and build (31:28). And Isaiah had spoken of a time when God would cause a new shoot, a new king, to spring from the cut-off stump of the lineage of Jesse, David’s father (11:1). During the Exile, suffering under the consequences of sin, they had little reason to suppose that God would do anything new. Still, the old promises echoed across the years, even if they could not believe them or even understand them.

In spite of their failures, in spite of their inability to envision a future beyond exile, there came a time when the prophets again announced a new thing, proclaiming "good tidings" to the people: "Here is your God!" (Isa 40:1-11). The Exile was ended! God would bring back to life a nation that was already dead (Eze 37). Long ago they had been slaves in Egypt, with nothing they could do to change their condition, and yet God had chosen to deliver.

So now, in the midst of their failure and hopelessness, God had again entered history as Deliverer. They would have another chance to be His people, not because they had earned it, no more than they had deserved it the first time; but simply because God in His grace had chosen to forgive.

They returned to the land. But across the years, they again struggled to obey and live up to their calling. They would never again slide into the worship of false gods. They had learned that lesson. But the great kingdom that they dreamed of restoring remained only a dream. They had hoped for a new king like David to lead them into a glorious future in which they would rule the world. They hoped to throw off the control of the Greeks and later the Romans and become a great nation. But it didn’t happen. And they became disillusioned and discouraged.

So, they again hoped for God to raise up a new king, a new messiah, to deliver them from the oppression of the world. They longed for peace and deliverance from the tyranny of a sinful world. The prophets again brought the word of God to them, and promised a newness. Even though they struggled to understand and believe, they held onto the hope that the same God who brought slaves out of Egypt, and who brought exiles out of Babylon, could bring Messiah into the world!

We know the rest of that story. God was faithful to that promise, and a new King was born in Bethlehem. So we can exclaim with the old man Simeon: "My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before all people, a light of revelation to the nations, and for glory to your people Israel!" (Luke 2:30-32).

But we also know that the world is still with us. Even though we can have Peace and Joy through the presence of Jesus Christ, we still long for deliverance from the oppression of sin in the world. We long for the full reign of the King, and the Kingdom of Peace that He will bring. So, while we celebrate the birth of the Branch, the new shoot from the stump of Jesse, we still anticipate with hope the Second Advent, and await the completion of the promise.

The Jesse Tree helps us retell this story, and express this hope.

Answer 2

You're simply using an ancient phallic symbol to celebrate the winter solstice. What could be wrong with that?

In Germany and northern Europe, the practice of decorating coniferous trees originated in pagan times, when the trees were seen as phallic symbols representing the fertility of the nature gods. The practice was associated with the Winter Solstice (around December 21) which was seen as the date of the rebirth of the Sun God. Tree decoration was later adopted into Christian practice after the Church set December 25th as the birth of Christ, thereby supplanting the pagan celebration of the solstice.

If you're a Christian, you're an even bigger hypocrite than you thought. The prophet Jerimiah realized that worshipping a pagan phallic symbol probably went against christian precepts, so the addressed the practice.

Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

So if you love Jesus, leave the Christmas tree where it belongs, with the pagans. Put up a nativity scene, and put presents under it, if you must. Remeber not to worship the nativity scene, or it's idolotry.

Merry Christmas! (Try not to think about the fact that Jesus wasn't even born in December, and that the date was conviniently co-opted to preempt the pagan celebration of the solstice.)

Answer 3

The modern custom can be traced to 16th century Germany; Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg professor of European ethnology) identified as the earliest reference a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day. Another early reference is from Basel, where the tailor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597.

Answer 4

you're in simple terms making use of an historical phallic image to celebrate the iciness solstice. What would desire to be incorrect with that? In Germany and northerly Europe, the prepare of adorning coniferous timber originated in pagan cases, whilst the timber have been seen as phallic symbols representing the fertility of the character gods. The prepare replaced into linked with the iciness Solstice (around December 21) which replaced into seen through fact the date of the rebirth of the solar God. Tree ornament replaced into later accompanied into Christian prepare after the Church set December twenty 5th through fact the delivery of Christ, thereby supplanting the pagan social gathering of the solstice. while you're a Christian, you're a good larger hypocrite than you concept. The prophet Jerimiah found out that worshipping a pagan phallic image in all likelihood went against christian precepts, so the addressed the prepare. Jeremiah 10:2-4: "consequently saith the LORD, learn no longer the way of the heathen, and be no longer dismayed on the signs and indications of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the each physique is ineffective: for one cutteth a tree out of the woodland, the artwork of the hands of the workman, with the awl. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it pass no longer." So in case you adore Jesus, depart the Christmas tree the place it belongs, with the pagans. submit a nativity scene, and placed promises decrease than it, in case you will desire to. Remeber to no longer worship the nativity scene, or it fairly is idolotry. Merry Christmas! (attempt to no longer think of regarding the undeniable fact that Jesus wasn't even born in December, and that the date replaced into conviniently co-opted to preempt the pagan social gathering of the solstice.)

Answer 5

The fir tree has for many years been associated with Christianity. It started in Germany 1000 or so ago when St Boniface converted the German people to Christianity. As the story goes St. Boniface came across a group of pagans who were worshipping and oak tree.and in anger, St Boniface cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. This is how this became a sign of Christian faith.

The triangular shape of the Fir Tree describes the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. People started to revere the Fir Tree as "God's Tree". The tree has became a symbol of Christianity, and was being hung upside-down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity. So actually when you saw those trees in stores that were upside down that was the original tradition.

16th century is when fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time.

Answer 6

Try this site it tells you all you need to know about where the christmas traditions come from,it was first made for the children at the school then opened up for everyone to use,its great for questions like yours.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/index.html

Answer 7

the tree "ceremony" can be traced back to before Jesus, to at least the time of Jeremiah the prophet maybe a little before.
It has no bearing on Christ, which neither does Christmas seeing how it was a pagan holiday imported into the Church and slapped Jesuss' name on it... Wasn't even his Birthday

Answer 8

You gotta have something to put the presents under.

Answer 9

well here in the north pole it is to dance around i like to watch the elfs dance in a circle around it

Answer 10

bringing life into the home, jesus brought palm trees i think... not sure though..

Answer 11

Do you know I was only thinking the same thing myself this morning!