Olive press…

 Olive press…

It seems fitting that Jesus and his disciples went to Gethsemane to meet the soldiers, officials from the chief priests, when the definition is “olive press”. When you think of the events to follow…the olives are picked  when ripe and ready for harvest…the time was right for Jesus to fulfill his prophecy as well …to be ground into the “pulp” so much he was unrecognizable…beaten, scorned, hung on a cross to die…

The olives really don’t have any way to escape their demise…Jesus did, but chose to  be obedient unto death because he knew His death was turning into victory…the olives give us pure oil for our use…Jesus gives us salvation for life…

There are times when we feel like we are in the Olive press of life…wondering why all the trials, strife, hurt, death are grinding away…slowly, unrelenting one after another, one after another…but at some point and only God knows, the our oil flows…as we are obedient to what God has for us…Joy in the morning….some one has said, “the deeper the “grinding”, the deeper the ministry “ after the time of sorrow,hardship…we have to take heart in that…even though it seems sooooo hard….

Thank YOU…

“Gethsemane refers to a garden located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. It is significant in the Bible as the place where Jesus prayed and experienced deep anguish before His arrest. This garden symbolizes both the humanity and divinity of Christ, showcasing His struggle and ultimate submission to the Father's will during a pivotal moment in the Passion narrative. Gethsemane is often described as a place of agony and surrender, where Jesus sought strength through prayer while His disciples struggled to stay awake.” AI summary…

“Easton’s Bible Dictionary-Gethsemane

Oil press, the name of an olive yard at the foot of the Mountain of Olives…

“HOW THE TRADITIONAL STONE PRESS WORKED

Traditional stone presses — still visible in ancient ruins and museums across Italy and Greece — operated on a simple mechanical principle. A large stone wheel or millstone sat vertically inside a circular stone basin. Livestock, typically oxen or donkeys, were harnessed to a wooden beam and walked in a circle, rotating the upper stone around the basin. Olives poured into the basin were crushed beneath the rotating stone into a thick paste.

That paste was then scooped into woven baskets called frails or fiscoli. The filled baskets were stacked on top of one another and a heavy stone weight was placed on top, applying downward pressure. A mixture of oil and water slowly dripped out and was collected below. The mixture was left to settle and decant — oil rising naturally to the surface — and then separated by hand.

The process was slow, labor-intensive, and limited in scale. A single press could take hours to process a relatively small amount of fruit. By the time the oil was extracted, the olives had often been sitting long enough for quality to begin declining. But for thousands of years, it was the only method available — and it worked.”https://exauoliveoil.com/products/excelsis-club

John 18:1  When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

John 18, 19

Heal me…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj-1SmPthQI&list=RDfj-1SmPthQI&start_radio=1