Daily Reading: (Matthew 26:36-39):
“ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus was preparing by prayer to be pressed/crushed for our sins at the place known as the olive press (Isaiah 53:5). “He was crushed for our iniquities.” Jesus was at the oil press ready to display the greatest demonstration of love at the cross as He was crushed for our sins. It was the greatest demonstration of love. Olive You.
And at the place of the press, Jesus pressed on toward the cross. He pressed on because He knew it was the will of the Father and because by faith, He knew that He would have great joy on the other side of the suffering.
Jesus pressed on at the press (Gethsemane) as He prayed (Matthew 26:39). When you are going through a trying time, a time that is pressing I want you to remember the symbol of olive oil, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the victory it has given you over your pressing situation. In this way, you can have joy in the most trying times.
Olive oil is only produced under great pressure and it brings joy to those who produce it [Psalms 45:7, Isaiah 61:1-3, and Hebrews 1:9]. The place “Gethsemane” was pointing to what Jesus death and eventual resurrection would produce eventual joy. The symbol for olive oil is the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).
We have been given a gift of joy after the press, the Holy Spirit. “Our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you” (John 14:26 AMP). How does the Holy Spirit produce joy in our lives? “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13).
Why would Jesus be troubled to the point of death (Matthew 26:38)? Because being troubled in His soul was nothing new. In fact, Jesus’ soul was troubled on the same account six days before, (John 12:27), but he was now also sorrowful. The reason is that before he was afflicted by men, but now he about to be bruised, and put to grief by his Father (Isaiah 53:10-11). Why would Jesus be troubled to the point of death (Matthew 26:38)? Because being troubled in His soul was nothing new. In fact, Jesus’ soul was troubled on the same account six days before, (John 12:27), but he was now also sorrowful. The reason is that before he was afflicted by men, but now he about to be bruised, and put to grief by his Father (Isaiah 53:10-11).
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). To us this might not seem like a big detail that “Jesus fell with his face to the ground and prayed to God” – The Jewish law that Jesus came to fulfill did not allow one to pray this way unless the One who was "to fall upon his face", knows in himself that he is righteous, as Joshua (Matthew 26:39). Jesus is the Only worthy sacrifice for sins that would suffice.