Garden of Gethesmane

I would like to share something just learned that reveals more the love of Jesus Christ. The word "Gethesmane" in Hebrew means "olive press." In order to extract the precious oil from the olives, it needs to be crushed and pressed to release the essence.

According to Jewish custom, there are three pressings that produce oil for different purposes: The first press is for lighting, the second medicine and third for soap. Our Lord is like the virgin olive, perfect and blameless, harvested at the garden of olive, he being the first fruit of God's love, and first crushed to bring light to our dark world. He is then led to the scourging post where His back was lashed open to bring us healing. Finally, Jesus was nailed to the cross so that all our sins are washed clean.

Throughout the Bible, grain, wine and oil are often mentioned together, each need to be crushed and processed tortuously in order to produce benefit for us. They demonstrate God's great love for us that we are not forgiven temporarily by mere decree, but redeemed completely and made righteous forever by the giving of Himself, is pleased to crush His own arm, and paid every legal demand justice required.

On the cross, Jesus was crushed completely, pressed dry and abandoned by God. He took our every sin upon His bloodied frame and became the condemned serpent. The resurrected life that flowed out is like new oil out of Gethesmane, full of His love that lights our way, heals our body and spirit, and washes clean our soul. He is the tree of life, the fruit of love, given in grace...let us receive in faith and praise. Amen

James