Song of Solomon 2:3
“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons”.

The anonymous 18th-century carol “Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree” offers a simple yet profound vision of Advent hope. Its imagery reaches back to Eden, where humanity’s first longing for knowledge led to separation from God. Yet here, the apple—once a symbol of disobedience—becomes a sign of redemption and restoration. The singer turns from the barrenness of worldly seeking to the fruitful, life-giving tree that is Christ Himself.

“I’m weary with my former toil,” the carol confesses. In Advent, we too feel that weariness. We sense how our striving and consumption, our constant hungering for more, leave us hollow. The song invites us to rest—not in possessions or accomplishments, but in the shade of the Tree that bears true fruit. Christ, the Apple Tree, offers nourishment that satisfies the soul:  grace, peace, forgiveness, and love.

The refrain of the carol is not exuberant; it is tender and intimate. It speaks of one who has tasted and seen that the Lord is good. The fruit of this Tree revives and restores, just as the Tree of Life once stood in paradise. In Christ, the lost garden blooms again.

As Advent unfolds, this carol reminds us that preparation for Christ’s coming is not frantic but fruitful. We are called not to decorate or accumulate, but to abide—to find our life in His. “His beauty doth all things excel,” the carol sings. When we turn our gaze toward Him, we find that what we most deeply desire has been waiting all along:  a love that renews creation and gives rest to the weary.

This Advent, come and sit beneath the branches of the Apple Tree. Taste and see that Christ is the fruit of God’s mercy, ripe for the healing of the world.

Contributed by Anonymous