What is a Jubilee Tree

Jubilee: The Year of the Lord’s favor:  Isaiah 61:1-3 

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Jubilee meant release or liberation. Slaves would be set free. Debts would be forgiven. A celebration of forgiveness. Enter: Jesus.  

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:14-20

The Jubilee Tree is an interactive display to remind us of the freedom, rest and abundance that we have in Jesus. He is the fulfillment of “the year of the Lord’s favor”, or Jubilee (Luke 4:14-21). The Jubilee Tree brings people together to open their bibles and hang an ornament as an ongoing symbol and conversation piece of the stories, promises and commands that we find in God’s Word. The various ornament collections rotate on the Tree throughout the year as we continually celebrate Jubilee.   The heart of Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:5-9