And He came out and went as He was wont to the Mount of Olives. And His disciples also followed Him. Luke 22:39
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge that lies east of Jerusalem’s old city, and is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes. This mountain is very important as it relates to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at the Mount of Olives that the Lord Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem and its rejection of Him as its King (Luke 19:41). And it will be to the Mount of Olives that the Lord Jesus will return when He comes back to establish His earthly kingdom (Zechariah 14:4). In fact, it is because of the promise that the Messiah will descend from Heaven to the Mount of Olives that many Jews, for many years, have desired to be buried there. More than 150,000 known graves are there on the mountain, many of them in the man-made burial caves that are there. During His final visit to Jerusalem, it became a frequent place for the Lord Jesus to go and spent time alone or with His disciples. It is also an interesting place for us to spend some time today.
The Mount of Olives was first mentioned in the Scriptures as the place where David fled from Absolom (2 Samuel 15:30). It became a refuge for him. There are times when we also need to flee from the circumstances that are burdening us, to get away to a place where we can recollect ourselves and allow the Lord to restore our souls for whatever lies ahead. Like David, we can return from the Mount of Olives victorious. But the Mount of Olives was also a dangerous place, because it was there that Solomon allowed his pagan wives to build their temples (1 Kings 11:7,8). We need to beware that we don’t make any provision for wrong things to be nearer to us than they should be. As mentioned earlier, Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would come to the Mount of Olives for His victorious arrival to Jerusalem. As our world descends deeper into immorality and godlessness, it is good to know that all evil will someday be scattered and placed into subjection to the King of Kings.
The time spent at and near the Mount of Olives by the Lord Jesus indicates His recognition of its significance. His dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in the shadow of that mountain, and Jesus delighted in spending time in their company. He still loves to spend time in the company of those who love Him. His weeping over the city as He beheld it from the mountain slope reminds us that compassion for lost souls is absolutely necessary if we are to accomplish anything in the Gospel. His resorting to the Mount of Olives, and its garden of Gethsemane, on the night when He would be betrayed there reminds us that, like Him, we need to be committed to our devotion and service for Him, even when we know that it will cause us grief and trouble.
Our text tells us that the disciples followed the Lord Jesus to the Mount of Olives. Are we following Him there today? -Jim MacIntosh