Hope Presbyterian Church

The Story of The Stained Glass Window of Hope Church

The stained glass window was dedicated on December 1, 1996. The design, construction and installation was done by the John Keegan Studio of Wycombe, PA. The window was given in memory of Elder Suzanne Mahns (1943-1995). The window is based on a banner Sue designed depicting a Jesse tree. The various symbols on the tree portray the path of redemption and salvation as promised in the Old Testament. Sue’s family, led by husband Bob, our former Director of Music Ministries, and sister Elder Phyllis Trask began the fund to pay for the window and met with the artist to plan the design. (Click on the picture of the window to the right to see an enlarged version.)

The Symbols

The Gospel of Matthew begins with a listing of the genealogy of Jesus. The first verse states "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham." It would have been important to Jews at the time, to know whether the Messiah, which Matthew was referring to, was a rightful descendant of David. They needed proof that this person could indeed claim to be King of the Jews. The Jesse Tree traces the ancestry of Jesus and it takes its name from Jesse, the father of David. In Isaiah 11:1 we read, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots." This "family tree" shows Jesus to be the fulfillment of this prophecy. Each symbol represents ancestors of Jesus, beginning with Abraham and ending with the birth of the Child called Immanuel, which means, "God with us".

First symbol is the star. God called Abram to follow Him. Abram trusted God and responded in faith. God made a covenant with Abram saying that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Abram's name was changed to Abraham, which means, "father of many nations".

Abraham and Sarah were very old at the time they were told they would become parents, and laughed at the news. The Lord said to Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Gen. 18:14) This is the next symbol on the Jesse Tree, the baby, and is a reminder of Sarah who at the age of 90 gave birth to a son and thus began the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham. It also reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible.

The son born to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, was later asked by God to be sacrificed. Because Abraham was a man of faith, he obeyed but just as he was about to slay the boy, an angel appeared and told him to stop. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Gen. 22:12) When Abraham turned around, he saw a ram stuck in the thicket, which he then sacrificed to God. This is the reason for this next symbol the ram: a symbol of Isaac, and a reminder that the call of God brings with it a promise of provision.

When Abraham was old, he gave Eliezer, his chief steward, the task of finding a wife for Isaac. He was given strict instructions which he was to follow. Eliezer prayed to God that he might be successful. He asked for the following sign: that the girl who offered him water from her water jar would be the one suitable to be the wife of Isaac. God led Eliezer to Rebecca. The water jug is the next symbol to remind us of Rebecca and of Eliezer's answered prayer.

Jacob was one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca. When it came time for him to marry, he was sent to Paddan Aram to find a wife who was not a Canaanite. One night he had a dream where he saw angels of God ascending and descending on a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. There it was confirmed that the promise God made to Abraham and Isaac would continue through Jacob. "I am the Lord, the God of you father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying...All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." (Gen. 28:13-14) A ladder with an angel on it is added to the stained glass symbolizing the confirmation of the covenant through Jacob.

Jacob's wife was Rachel. The number seven is next for the symbols on the Jesse Tree. When Jacob saw Rachel he fell in love with her, and made a promise to her father, Laban. "I will work for you for seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." (Gen. 29:18B) Jacob kept his promise and the line of descendants of Abraham continued. More importantly through all of these events, we see God at work in the lives of His people. And through all of these symbols we see Jesus as a direct descendent of Abraham.

The next two symbols are an ornate coat and a bag of money. Joseph and Judah were two of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob gave the ornate coat to Joseph because of the great love he had for the first son born to him and Rachel. His brothers were jealous of that relationship and were angry because of dreams Joseph had had which showed him ruling over the other members of the family. Thus, they plotted to kill him and it was Judah, in effect, that saved his brother's life by suggesting that he be sold to the Ishmaelites. The bag of money represents the twenty shekels of silver that was paid for Joseph.

Next is the sheaf of wheat and a sandal. The wheat reminds us of Ruth who, after her husband died, committed herself to her widowed mother-in-law. Because she was not a Jew, Naomi felt Ruth should go back to her homeland where she could find another husband to care for her. Ruth said to her, "Don't urge me to leave you or to back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16) In an effort to support the two of them, Ruth gleaned wheat from a field owned by Boaz who was a descendant of Judah.

Boaz fell in love with Ruth and decided to purchase the property of Naomi's deceased husband which included Ruth. Following the custom of the day, Boaz took off his sandal and gave it to the kinsman-redeemer, which legalized the transaction of transfer of property. Ruth became his wife and they had a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.
Ruth, though not a Jew, was used by God to perpetuate the line from Judah to David. Through grace she became one of God's chosen people called to participate in God's plan initiated with the covenant made with Abraham. "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Through grace, we too are chosen to participate as Children of the Promise.

The next four symbols to the Jesse Tree represent 4 of the kings of the Israelite nation. When God made his covenant with Abraham, He said, "I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you". (Gen. 17:6B) Judah, the great-grandson of Abraham, had been promised that a great ruler would come from his descendents. Thus marks the next two symbols: the crown and harp.

After God rejected Saul as king, the Lord said to Samuel "I am sending you the Jesse of Bethlehem, I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (1 Sam. 16:1B) Samuel obeyed and when he saw the first of Jesse's sons he thought surely he must be the one God has chosen. "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" (1 Sam. 16:17) David, a young shepherd boy, who played the harp, was the one whose heart was right before God, and chosen to be king.

David and Bathsheba had a son named Solomon. He was known as a wise king. God had appeared to Solomon in a dream and said "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (1 Kings 3:5B) Solomon responded by asking for a wise and discerning heart, able to distinguish between right and wrong. The gavel is next on the Jesse Tree as a symbol of the wisdom Solomon received from God.
After Solomon died the Nation of Israel was divided. The north was called Israel and the south called Judah. People rebelled against God; Prophets called them to repent, but they didn't listen, and received God's judgment. The Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians. In succeeding years, two kings of the Southern Kingdom tried to get the people to live according to the covenant so God would look favorably upon them again.

Hezekiah, one of the greatest kings of Judah, reopened the gates to the temple. He commanded the people to consecrate themselves to purifying, and restoring, it and reestablishing proper worship. Years later, when Josiah became king, the temple had once again fallen into disrepair. He too ordered its renovation. While this was being done, a copy of the Book of the Law was found. As it was being read, the king wore his robes and wept when he realized how far the people had strayed from the will of God. In an attempt to make the people right with God, he called them to rededicate themselves to the covenant found in the Book of the Law. The gates to the temple and the scroll are next as symbols of Hezekiah and Josiah, two kings, descended from the covenant made with God centuries earlier. They realized that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings discipline. Unfortunately, the people didn't realize what God had pointed out to Samuel, God doesn't look at outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. A king was coming from Judah however who would put the law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

While tracing the ancestry of Jesus through our Jesse Tree, we are reminded of the heritage of faith woven throughout its branches. We see a people who responded in faith to God's call and we see a God who faithfully kept His part of the Covenant made with the people He had chosen as His own. The next symbol on the Tree, an angel, is a symbol of Mary and Joseph, two people whose lives could have been dramatically changed for the worse by responding to God's call, but nevertheless, they responded in faith.
Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to a son. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:32) When Joseph heard that Mary was with child, he decided to divorce her quietly. But an angel appeared to him and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because that what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:20-21)

The child was born, and to symbolize this, a star of David with a cross at its center is the final symbol on the Jesse Tree. This represents Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the Savior of the World. A symbol of the fulfillment of the promise God made to His people. Looking at the Jesse Tree now knowing the meanings of the symbols, be reminded of Paul's writings to the Galatians: "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus...If you belong to Christ, Then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise."

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	First symbol is the star. God called Abram to follow Him. Abram trusted God and responded in faith. God made a covenant with Abram saying that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Abram's name was changed to Abraham, which means, "father of many nations".
	Abraham and Sarah were very old at the time they were told they would become parents, and laughed at the news. The Lord said to Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Gen. 18:14) This is the next symbol on the Jesse Tree, the baby, and is a reminder of Sarah who at the age of 90 gave birth to a son and thus began the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham. It also reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible.
	The son born to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, was later asked by God to be sacrificed. Because Abraham was a man of faith, he obeyed but just as he was about to slay the boy, an angel appeared and told him to stop. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Gen. 22:12) When Abraham turned around, he saw a ram stuck in the thicket, which he then sacrificed to God. This is the reason for this next symbol the ram: a symbol of Isaac, and a reminder that the call of God brings with it a promise of provision.
	When Abraham was old, he gave Eliezer, his chief steward, the task of finding a wife for Isaac. He was given strict instructions which he was to follow. Eliezer prayed to God that he might be successful. He asked for the following sign: that the girl who offered him water from her water jar would be the one suitable to be the wife of Isaac. God led Eliezer to Rebecca. The water jug is the next symbol to remind us of Rebecca and of Eliezer's answered prayer.
	Jacob was one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca. When it came time for him to marry, he was sent to Paddan Aram to find a wife who was not a Canaanite. One night he had a dream where he saw angels of God ascending and descending on a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. There it was confirmed that the promise God made to Abraham and Isaac would continue through Jacob. "I am the Lord, the God of you father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying...All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." (Gen. 28:13-14) A ladder with an angel on it is added to the stained glass symbolizing the confirmation of the covenant through Jacob.
	Jacob's wife was Rachel. The number seven is next for the symbols on the Jesse Tree. When Jacob saw Rachel he fell in love with her, and made a promise to her father, Laban. "I will work for you for seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." (Gen. 29:18B) Jacob kept his promise and the line of descendants of Abraham continued. More importantly through all of these events, we see God at work in the lives of His people. And through all of these symbols we see Jesus as a direct descendent of Abraham.
	The next two symbols are an ornate coat and a bag of money. Joseph and Judah were two of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob gave the ornate coat to Joseph because of the great love he had for the first son born to him and Rachel. His brothers were jealous of that relationship and were angry because of dreams Joseph had had which showed him ruling over the other members of the family. Thus, they plotted to kill him and it was Judah, in effect, that saved his brother's life by suggesting that he be sold to the Ishmaelites. The bag of money represents the twenty shekels of silver that was paid for Joseph.
	Next is the sheaf of wheat and a sandal. The wheat reminds us of Ruth who, after her husband died, committed herself to her widowed mother-in-law. Because she was not a Jew, Naomi felt Ruth should go back to her homeland where she could find another husband to care for her. Ruth said to her, "Don't urge me to leave you or to back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16) In an effort to support the two of them, Ruth gleaned wheat from a field owned by Boaz who was a descendant of Judah.
	Boaz fell in love with Ruth and decided to purchase the property of Naomi's deceased husband which included Ruth. Following the custom of the day, Boaz took off his sandal and gave it to the kinsman-redeemer, which legalized the transaction of transfer of property. Ruth became his wife and they had a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. Ruth, though not a Jew, was used by God to perpetuate the line from Judah to David. Through grace she became one of God's chosen people called to participate in God's plan initiated with the covenant made with Abraham. "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Through grace, we too are chosen to participate as Children of the Promise.
	The next four symbols to the Jesse Tree represent 4 of the kings of the Israelite nation. When God made his covenant with Abraham, He said, "I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you". (Gen. 17:6B) Judah, the great-grandson of Abraham, had been promised that a great ruler would come from his descendents. Thus marks the next two symbols: the crown and harp.
	After God rejected Saul as king, the Lord said to Samuel "I am sending you the Jesse of Bethlehem, I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (1 Sam. 16:1B) Samuel obeyed and when he saw the first of Jesse's sons he thought surely he must be the one God has chosen. "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" (1 Sam. 16:17) David, a young shepherd boy, who played the harp, was the one whose heart was right before God, and chosen to be king.
	David and Bathsheba had a son named Solomon. He was known as a wise king. God had appeared to Solomon in a dream and said "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (1 Kings 3:5B) Solomon responded by asking for a wise and discerning heart, able to distinguish between right and wrong. The gavel is next on the Jesse Tree as a symbol of the wisdom Solomon received from God. After Solomon died the Nation of Israel was divided. The north was called Israel and the south called Judah. People rebelled against God; Prophets called them to repent, but they didn't listen, and received God's judgment. The Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians. In succeeding years, two kings of the Southern Kingdom tried to get the people to live according to the covenant so God would look favorably upon them again.
	Hezekiah, one of the greatest kings of Judah, reopened the gates to the temple. He commanded the people to consecrate themselves to purifying, and restoring, it and reestablishing proper worship. Years later, when Josiah became king, the temple had once again fallen into disrepair. He too ordered its renovation. While this was being done, a copy of the Book of the Law was found. As it was being read, the king wore his robes and wept when he realized how far the people had strayed from the will of God. In an attempt to make the people right with God, he called them to rededicate themselves to the covenant found in the Book of the Law. The gates to the temple and the scroll are next as symbols of Hezekiah and Josiah, two kings, descended from the covenant made with God centuries earlier. They realized that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings discipline. Unfortunately, the people didn't realize what God had pointed out to Samuel, God doesn't look at outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. A king was coming from Judah however who would put the law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
	While tracing the ancestry of Jesus through our Jesse Tree, we are reminded of the heritage of faith woven throughout its branches. We see a people who responded in faith to God's call and we see a God who faithfully kept His part of the Covenant made with the people He had chosen as His own. The next symbol on the Tree, an angel, is a symbol of Mary and Joseph, two people whose lives could have been dramatically changed for the worse by responding to God's call, but nevertheless, they responded in faith. Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to a son. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:32) When Joseph heard that Mary was with child, he decided to divorce her quietly. But an angel appeared to him and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because that what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:20-21)
	The child was born, and to symbolize this, a star of David with a cross at its center is the final symbol on the Jesse Tree. This represents Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the Savior of the World. A symbol of the fulfillment of the promise God made to His people. Looking at the Jesse Tree now knowing the meanings of the symbols, be reminded of Paul's writings to the Galatians: "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus...If you belong to Christ, Then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise."