Have you ever seen a tree stump?
What did it feel like?
What did it look like?
Was it big enough to sit on?
Did the tree stump look alive or dead?

Did you know a tree stump can grow back to a full-sized tree? With the right root system in the ground and nutrient-filled soil, you might see small green leaves and branches poking through the hard stump (though it would take a really, really long time!). Let’s wonder together: what does a tree stump have to do with Advent and the coming of Jesus?

When God laid out the consequences for the disobedience Adam and Eve chose in the garden, He also cursed the ground and the snake that had tempted them. In Genesis 3:15, God declares I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

He shall bruise your head. … Who is he? I’ll give you just a minute to think through who that might be. Did you think it was Jesus? If so, you’re absolutely right! In the midst of the pain and brokenness of sin, God had already prepared a way for evil to be conquered forever and for joy to come into the world.

As the story between God and mankind continues to unfold, we see that God brings Jesus into the world through a chosen group of people—the Israelites. It is through this incredible group of people that God shows His presence and reveals His plan of redemption to the world. If the Israelites are the tree stump in the wilderness, Jesus is the new, living branch that grows out of it! The entire world receives redemption through Jesus and His living sacrifice.