Page 80 - Life of Christ w videos

Jesus arose, to everyone’s surprise, and led them out of the room, down and across the Kidron Valley to
a special garden that He frequented often: Gethsemane.

As they walked down this path, which probably took about 30 minutes, Jesus continued to prepare them
for what was shortly to occur. He shared the “vine and branches” discourse, warned them of the
coming rejection, told them of the promised coming Spirit, then Jesus paused and probably in the
hearing of the eleven, prayed the “High Priestly prayer” of John 17. All this was in preparation of the
believing disciples for the events to soon come.

It is interesting that Jesus took them to a garden called Gethsemane. Gethsemane means “press” which
was used to extract the oil from the olive trees that abounded in the garden. People in Israel knew
about the Garden as it was probably owned by a private individual who had given Jesus permission to
frequent the place. It was the location that Jesus had taken his disciples to frequently – a place of
solitude and prayer. Judas was very aware of the location on the Mount of Olives.

The Garden yielded the olive fruit. People in Israel ground olives up and
extracted the oils from them for medicines, salves, lotions and facial ointments,
base for perfumes, cooking, and illuminating their rooms at night. They also
enjoyed the olives as a part of their meals.

To extract the oil from the olives, the farmers ground the olives using a large
millstone. The ground pulp was then placed in large leather bags and stacked
on top of one another to about a height of 4 feet.

Then the farmer would lower a press on the bags by adding a gethsemane
stone, as they called them, on the press. Each gethsemane stone weighed
about 1,000 lbs.

As the first stone was added to the press, about 1/3 of the oil would flow out Green Olives
which was the very purest and best of the oil. This oil was consecrated to the
Lord and given to the temple or synagogue for service there. Once the oil ceased to flow, a second
stone was added to the press. Now there is 2,000 pounds pressing the mesh. About 1/3 more of the oil
would begin to flow. This oil was used for cooking, lotions, and in eating with bread. It was also used
for medicinal purposes. Finally, the flow would cease again.

A third stone was then added to the
press. Now there is 3,000 pounds of
weight pressing the olive mesh. A
final third of the oil was extracted
but was the poorest of quality. It
was used mainly for burning in oil
lamps.

Luke 22: 42, 44 “Father, if you are
willing, take this cup from me; yet
not my will, but yours be
done”.… And being in anguish, he
prayed more earnestly, and his

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Gethsemane stones used to press olive mesh to produce olive oil