Introduction to Family Tree Devotional

One of my favorite memories from family gatherings is sitting around telling stories about “the old days.” Aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins would regale us with stories about what life was like “back then,” eventually rolling into accounts of earlier generations, many of whom I never met. Those storytelling sessions would always leave me with a sense that I came from somewhere; that there were people who came before me who shaped who I was today. They gave me a sense of who I was and sometimes where I was going.

The Bible is full of stories like that. From Genesis to Revelation we hear accounts of earlier followers of God, gaining a sense of who we are with God and oftentimes where we are going. One of the most underrated parts of the Bible that work in this way are the genealogies. There are several places in the Old Testament recounting genealogies, such as the first few chapters of Numbers, and many times these are the texts that we prefer to jump over. When we skip them, though, we miss out on hidden jewels scattered throughout the genealogies that tell of God’s grace and truth in life after life.

This is nowhere so clear as in the first words of our New Testament, Matthew chapter 1, which recount Jesus’ family tree. This Advent we are going to linger in the genealogy of Jesus, walking our way through the stories of God’s grace and truth in the genealogy of Jesus. Advent is a season of preparation spread across the four weekends before Christmas intended to prepare us for our celebration of Jesus’ birth and anticipation of His return. It comes from the Latin word adventus, which means ‘appearing,’ and calls us to prepare our hearts as we draw near to Christmas. 

This year we will prepare by attending to the lives of the great men and women of faith, including Joseph and Mary, who we encounter in Jesus’ family tree. As we follow their stories it will give us an opportunity to regain a sense of who Jesus is and what He did, as well as who we are and where we are going as His disciples. 

May God have His way in us, that we too may grow as trophies of His grace and truth, knowing Him more fully in the anticipation of Advent on our way to the celebration of Christmas. 

Pastor Matt Erickson

How to use this Devotional

At Eastbrook, we have been publishing our own devotionals for several years now, but our Advent devotional is different from any of the others! Advent is a season of thoughtful reflection that prepares us for the celebration of Christ’s birth. It is the “fast before the feast”, and in this way, it sets apart God’s people. Instead of following our culture in its rush from one celebration to another, we pause to reflect, pray, and meditate on the profound meaning of the incarnation—Christ with us.

At the same time, because of its lead-up to Christmas, Advent is also a season of childlike anticipation. Perhaps we light another candle on the Advent wreath every week? Or, maybe we add more figures to our nativity set each day until Christmas Eve, when we finally place Baby Jesus in the manger. This year, as we focus on the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 1:1-17, we are creating our own version of the Jesse Tree—a tree dedicated to displaying ornaments that recall some of the key figures in Jesus’ family tree. Whether you make a set of these ornaments using our Eastbrook kit, or design your own, this devotional will direct you to place these figures on your tree as we study them each week.

Monday–Fridays

These days will contain daily Scripture readings and a devotional essay from a fellow Eastbrooker. These are intended primarily for adult readers. The Scripture themselves, however, are largely narratives, and they can be read aloud with the entire family. We suggest choosing a kid-friendly version of a chapter-and-verse Bible, like the New International Readers’ Version, or the International Children’s Bible. The “Digging Deeper” questions can be discussed with the whole family as well.

Saturdays

Aside from the daily Scripture and devotional readings, there are also weekly Family Talks—short devotional essays written for, and addressed to, elementary-age kids. This Saturday readings provide a time to gather the family, review some of the scriptures for the past week, and, if you’ve ordered an Advent Craft Kit, to hang that week’s ornaments on your own Jesse Tree. 

Sundays

There are no devotional readings for Sundays, when we focus on corporate worship as the body of Christ at Eastbrook. We invite you to participate in our worship services in person, or through Eastbrook At Home.