Daily Devotional March 30, 2022

 


If you visit the village of Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee, you will find an exhibit of ancient olive presses. Formed from basalt rock, the olive press consists of two parts: a base and a grinding wheel. The base is large, round, and has a trough carved out of it. The olives were placed in this trough, and then the wheel, also made from heave stone, was rolled over the olives to extract the oil.

On the night before His death, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. There, in the garden called Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father, knowing what lay ahead of Him. The word Gethsemane means "place of the olives press" - and that perfectly describes those first crushing hours of Christ's suffering on our behalf. There, "in anguish, He prayed. . . and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44).

Jesus the Son suffered and died to take away "the sin of the world" (John 1:29) and restore our broken relationship with God the Father. "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa. 53:4-5). Our hearts cry out in worship and gratitude. As W.G. Ovens reflects, "Gone my transgressions, and now I am free - all because Jesus was wounded for me". 

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