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The Olive Press

- , Caesarea Maritime, , , , En Gedi, , Gamla, , , , , , , Southern Steps, City of , Dome of the Rock, The Garden Tomb, , , The Golden Gate, ’s Tunnel, , Lion’s Gate, , Mount , Pool of Bethesda, , Temple Mount, Via Delorosa, Western Wall, , , , , , Mount of the Beatitudes, , , , , Qumron Caves, , Tel Aviv, Valley of Ellah, , Tiberias - The Gospel according to the Olive Press! - There is so much about the olive tree that points to Christ. - 11:1-5 - There are not a lot of trees in , but one of the most prevalent is the olive tree. - The olive tree was named as the official tree for the nation of Israel in 2007. - It is also one of the plants most frequently mentioned in the . - It is used as a source of healing, nourishment, and light. - The authors of Scripture used the imagery of the olive tree to describe Jesus' Jewish roots and the relationship of and , as well as our relationship to Jesus Himself. The Branch - When an olive tree gets very old (often hundreds of years old) and has reached its maximum production, farmers usually cut it down to improve its future growth. (Picture) - Soon, new shoots grow from the old stump, and the tree begins producing olives again. - This is the imagery of Isaiah's prophecy, :1 – “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of , And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”. - As a descendant of David, Jesus was the shoot from the stump of Jesse (David's father). - Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah prophesy of Jesus as the Branch, using the Hebrew word ‘Netzer’. - Netzer means branch, Netzerite means people of the branch and is translated in English as Nazerite. - :23 – “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the , “He shall be called a Nazarene.”” - The uses olive trees to help illustrate God's pan of salvation. - In Rom. 11:11-24, Paul describes Christians as either natural olive branches (those of Jewish background), or olive branches that have been grafted in (Gentiles). - As branches grafted into Jesus, Christians will only bear fruit if we are attached to (and have a personal relationship with) Jesus. - The olive tree provides an excellent lesson for Christians who are not Jewish. - Though God cut many Jewish branches down because they rejected Jesus as , he did not uproot the tree. - The shoot of Jesus and the branches of his followers grew from a Jewish stump. (Jerusalem Cross Picture) - The olive tree can be a constant reminder that Jesus is our source of life; our healing, our nourishment, our light. - The olive harvest in Israel has always been an integral part of the economy. The Anointing - was used for anointing men in the who were being ordained as Prophets, Priests, and Kings. - The ceremonial anointing of olive oil symbolized being set apart by God for a specific ministry and being equipped by the Holy Spirit to fulfill that ministry. - Ironically, the title that was given to Jesus is the word “Christ” (Messiah), which means “the anointed one”. - Jesus combines the three anointed roles of , Priest, and King! The Olive Press - The Mt. of Olives stands tall overlooking the East side of Jerusalem. - It faces the Eastern Gate of the Temple, also known as the Golden Gate. - This is the gate that the Messiah will enter when He returns. - The Mt. of Olives used to be covered by olive trees and still has some scattered about today. - The Garden of Gethsemane is on the side of the Mt. of Olives and was the location that Jesus went to often to pray. - The name ‘Gethsemane’ means ‘olive press’. (Picture) - (:32-42) - The process of using an olive press to extract olive oil was a 3-fold process. - The first time olives are pressed, they release the purest oil. - This oil was collected and given to the priests to be used for anointing and healing purposes. - The second press would apply more weight to extract oil that would be used for cooking and consumption. - The third and final press would apply maximum weight to drain the last drops of oil from the olives and this would be used for fueling the lamps to provide light. - (Mark 14:32-42) - Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, separated Himself THREE times from His disciples to pray. - Each time, He felt more and more pressure and agony of what was about to happen. - :21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” - Jesus was pressed for you. The Harvest - Olives are harvested by a gardener beating the branches of the olive tree causing the olives to fall on a blanket that he would spread underneath. (Picture) - They would then be gathered and put into the press to be crushed in order to provide healing, nourishment, and light. - Just as the harvest process of obtaining olive oil requires beating and crushing, salvation required the beating and crushing of Jesus Christ for the punishment of our sins. - :1-5, 10-11 - Because Jesus was put through the press by His Father… - Jesus is our Healing. Isaiah 53:5 – “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” - Jesus is our Nourishment. John 6:35 – “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” - Jesus is our Light. John 8:12 – “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””

- Are you connected to the Tree? - John 15:1-8 - Jesus is our Olive Oil: our Healing, our Nourishment, and our Light! - Have you been grafted in?

Connect Group Discussion Questions: 1. Discuss the details of Jesus being put through the “Olive Press” in the Garden of “Gethsemane”. (Mark 14:32-42) 2. How do the meticulous details of harvesting olives and olive oil prove the intentionality and authenticity of Scripture? 3. (John 15:1-8) Discuss the correlation between a branch remaining attached to the vine and a Christ-follower remaining connected to Christ.