Christmas trees

It is the most widely recognized symbol of the season—the Christmas tree. Other religions had used evergreen branches as ceremonial decorations to represent eternal life. However, in the 16th century, the Lutherans of Germany took the next step of bringing freshly cut evergreen trees indoors for the holidays. They decorated the trees with red ornaments, symbolizing the blood of Christ, and with candles, symbolizing the light of Christ. They would top the tree with a star or angel, both important in the story of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas tree is a special part of our Christmas celebration.

In our midweek Advent services, we will look at some Christmas trees. They are not evergreens, nor decorated with tinsel or garland or bright lights. Rather, we will look at some of the trees in the Scripture that point us to the Christ. These Christmas trees, more than the decorative ones, remind us of why the birth of Jesus Christ is so important… so worthy of celebration.