The Crushing

A "gethsemane" is an olive press. The garden of Gethsemane is a grove of olive trees near the base of the mount of olives, east of the temple mount. We all know that it was here that Jesus wrestled in prayer with the Father before His arrest. It was here, in this place of crushing, that Jesus, with blood and sweat on his brow, began to be crushed for our sin and bruised for our iniquities. This crushing gave us peace.

I was not prepared for how God met me here. As I entered the Church of All Nations, I quickly moved to the altar area. There I found, on the floor before the altar, the large stone on which Jesus prayed and sweat and bled. All I could do was kneel. All I could say to Jesus was "thank you."

Thank you, Jesus, for struggling in prayer. Thank you, Jesus, for following the Father's will. Thank you, Jesus, for choosing to be crushed for my sin. Thank you, Jesus, for bleeding that my sin might be atoned for, and I might be forgiven. Thank you, Jesus, Amen.

Pastor Jeff