O Radix Jesse

O root of Jesse.

O root of Jesse, you stand as a sign for the nations;
Kings fall silent before you, whom the peoples acclaim.
O come to deliver us and do not delay.

When we think about Advent, we might associate it with Advent Hymns, Advent candles and Advent wreaths and Advent calendars. But there is another symbol that is linked strongly to Advent, and that is the O Antiphon for December 19th (18th), the O radix Jesse, also known as O root of Jesse.

An Antiphon is a short verse often used in Christian worship, for example, during the singing of psalms, for instance, in Gospel Canticle at Morning, Evening and Night Prayer at the start and the end. They use texts from Holy Scripture that refer to the coming of the Messiah. As such, the ‘O Antiphons’ are said or sung before and after the Magnificat on the seven days before Christmas Eve. They all begin ‘O…’ and have Latin titles, for example, the one that most people will know ‘O Emmanuel’, but also ‘O Wisdom…’ and in this case ‘O Radix Jesse’

As described in Isaiah 11: 1-10 Jesus is the Root of Jesse, or Radix Jesse in Latin. It keeps Jesus’ human heritage alive. We read the story of Jesse in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. He was the son of Obed and was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. Jesse was a farmer, a sheep herder. He lived in Bethlehem, and he fathered 8 sons. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to find Jesse and to anoint one of his 8 sons as the new king of Israel. One by one, Jesse’s seven oldest sons came before Samuel while he appraised them for their outward beauty, virtue and skills. However, each of them was rejected by God. We read,

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

When the Lord came to Jesse’s eighth son, David, God told Samuel to, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one’ (1 Samuel 16:12). As we know, David became king, and the book of Isiah tells us that the messiah would be a son if King David,

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named.

Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace.

for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Isaiah thus prophesied a restoration of David’s throne and royal line, a new branch budding out of the old root. We could say that Jesus is the root of Jesse in two ways: He is the descendant of King David, and He inherited the royal throne. Moreover, when the angel visited the Virgin Mary to announce that she would conceive and bear a son, he explained to her, “The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will be without end” (Luke 1:32-33).

Theologically, there is much to be reflected upon in the Jesse Tree. Practically, the first thing that comes to mind is the way in which it can be used as a tool to grow in faith during Advent. In a world where Christmas celebrations are starting in November, and food and presents are on the mind of many during advent, it is nice to have a way to actually reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, Christ! Because the root of Jesse, or the Tree of Jesse, becomes the way in which God makes His promise to us that He is going to send us a saviour.

The Jesse Tree devotion is much like an Advent calendar. However, rather than taking something away from it, counting down to Christmas, every day, up to Christmas, an ornament is added. These ornaments with a picture or symbol represent the bible story that is related to Jesus’s family tree, all the way through the Old Testament to Jesus’s birth. Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord, and this devotion does just that. Using Bible stories that show everything leads to Christmas. By Christmas Day, the tree is complete.

Pictures and symbols, much like those used in the Jesse Tree, were for the longest time the way to spread the Gospel. When Holy Scripture was not available in the vernacular, and most people were unable to read Latin, images and carvings were a good way of familiarising people with Bible Stories. Both to evangelise and to catechise. Jesse Trees were very much part of that tradition and were depicted as early as the 11th century. During the reformation, these depictions were seen as iconoclasm and therefore destroyed. However, some beautiful examples still exist, such as stained glass, icons, murals and carvings.

In these depictions, Christ and his mother are frequently shown at the top of this tree; however, sometimes the Virgin Mary is holding the Christ child in her arms. Moreover, Jesse himself is usually found reclining in rest at the bottom of the tree. It is from his side that the tree and its branches spring with the Old Testament characters, such as King David and King Solomon. These pictures actually incorporate the full flourishing of the tree, from its beginnings as a seed, through rejuvenation of a seemingly dead stump, and towards the abundance of the restored tree in Christ, with all his ancestors.

Thus, it becomes clear why the Jesse Tree is a family tree; it is where we find the genealogy of Christ coming down from the line of David. Realising this, we can understand why the “O Radix Jesse“ belongs in the list of the O Antiphons, and therefore is important in this particular season of waiting for the Lord, Advent. Like reading Holy Scripture, journeying from creation, through the Old Testament, finishing at the Christmas story. The Advent journey is not dissimilar, navigating the road up to the birth of Christ, through the pictures and symbols of Jesus’ family tree. Patiently waiting for him who will ‘establish the throne of his kingdom for ever’ (1 Samuel 7:13).

By kirsten Schouwenaars-Harms