Crushed

Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil--Ex 30:22-25 

What it takes to make the holy anointing oil: myrrh, cinnamon, cane, cassia, and olive oil. Each ingredient is significant.

--Myrrh was a spice that was used as a pain killer (it was offered to Jesus on the cross) It is named myrrh because of its bitterness. Myrrh was also used in the embalming or anointing of the dead, so it came to represent mortality, suffering, and sorrow.

--Cinnamon oil was used to start fires 

-- Sweet Calamus (Cane) it's name comes from the root-term meaning "to stand upright" Calamus was a reed that grew in the miry soil; it was crushed to produce scented oil.

-- Cassia is a spice. This spice was used as a cleansing agent or a laxative. The Hebrew name for this particular spice comes from the root word signifying "to stoop" or to "bow down" 

--Olive oil In order to get olive oil you first have to harvest the olives, this required beating the tree which would cause the olives to fall to the ground. They were then gathered and taken to an olive press, where they would be crushed to extract the precious oil. 

All these ingredients were crushed and added to the precious olive oil-- The bitter and the sweet mixed together perfectly becomes HOLY ANOINTING!
The myrrh was very costly it had a sweet aroma, yet a very bitter taste. It came from a tree; when it was cut the pure medicinal myrrh would come out. The healing herb came from its wounds....

The cinnamon oil was used to ignite fires...
The calamus was crushed despite it's uprightness...
The cassia was purifying and humbling...
and the olive oil was bruised and crushed.--Sounds a lot like Jesus

In Matt 26 Jesus was anointed by the sinful woman; she poured the oil on His head preparing Him for His burial. --Just a few verses down Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane and He is wresting in prayer, His very "soul was sorrowful even to death." He went farther into the garden agonizing over His destiny to the point that He was sweating blood. I can only imagine the pressure He felt. 

He went back only to find His disciples sleeping--I'm sure He wanted to say, "Don't you understand what I'm going through! Can't you at least stay awake!!' The truth is no one could relieve His pain---Jesus was being crushed in the olive grove. The very name Gethsemane literally means "olive press"-It was fresh oil, fresh anointing--God was preparing Him for something bigger!! 

Something amazing happens when we're crushed...

Anointing is costly-- wounds to bring healing... fire and zeal... being extracted from the mire just to be crushed... cleansing and humility... then comes a beating...and crushed again...HOLY ANOINTING

Are you willing to pay the price? 

Pastor Brandiilyne