Matthew 26:53, commentary and pictures

Spoken as He was seized in Gethsemane after Peter cut off the servant's ear, it means He could then have prayed to His Father and at once have been given more than twelve legions of angels to protect and deliver Him from His captors. The number speaks of an immense host at His bidding, a legion for each disciple and armies ready to do His will. His capture was voluntary submission and not force, for He had full power to resist and escape yet made no effort to deliver Himself. He withheld that prayer and refused rescue by miracle because the Scriptures that He must suffer thus had to be fulfilled in His being taken. He chose to drink the cup His Father had given Him and to die rather than call the heavenly host, because only His life could pay the ransom to rescue humanity from ruin and one failure to bear the test would have made the offering imperfect and the redemption fail.

Arrest In Gethsemane

The saying belongs to the night of His last agony when He went with His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. That was Passover night, under a broad full moon shining from a cloudless sky while the city of pilgrims' tents was hushed into silence. He who had always walked in the light of God's presence and always did what pleased Him then came to feel shut out from the Father's sustaining presence as He was numbered with transgressors, taking the guilt and iniquity of fallen humanity upon Himself though He knew no sin, with sin appearing dreadful and God's wrath against transgression terrible, and His soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death.

It was spoken at the moment He was seized by the band led by Judas, after Satan had put it into Judas's heart to betray Him and had entered into him. Judas betrayed Him with expressions of love, with a kiss, and all His disciples forsook Him and fled. It belongs to the scene in which He is seized in Gethsemane and taken away for trial, betrayed and subjected to mockery and violence as Satan works upon human hearts.

It was spoken to Peter after Peter in anger rashly drew his sword and cut off the high priest's servant's ear. Though held firmly by Roman soldiers, He freed His own hands to touch the wound and instantly heal the ear. He told Peter to put away the sword because those who use the sword perish by it, and so rebuked violent defense, though He had taught openly daily in the temple yet was arrested with swords and clubs by chief priests and temple officers.

He had prepared His faithful and true disciples beforehand for the betrayal, condemnation, rejection, agony, and crucifixion, so that the trial of their faith would not take them by surprise or cause loss of faith. After the long agony in the Garden He was betrayed by Judas, one of His professed disciples, and arrested by a band of men and soldiers with staves and spears. Through insult, mockery, scourging, and the disgraceful farce of a trial from Annas to Caiaphas to Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate, He bore Himself with dignity, failing not, speaking no word except what was essential and tended to glorify God. Before Pilate the accusers' testimony contradicted one another and was valueless, and Pilate declared he found no fault in Him.

Offer Of Angelic Help

At that moment He could pray to His Father and would presently and at once be given more than twelve legions of angels to protect, rescue and deliver Him from arrest and from His captors. He had power to ask for that help and escape arrest, yet withheld that prayer and did not use that power to escape the trial and suffering before Him. He chose not to call on them while being seized and would not have His followers defend Him with swords, accepting capture rather than being forced.

The number means an immense host under His authority and ready at His bidding, armies of angels standing ready to do His bidding. It is described as a legion for each disciple, as ten thousand angels that could have been brought, and as heaven's armies He could command. With that host Christ is always with the majority.

The same divine power that struck the armed mob prostrate and helpless on the ground could have kept them helpless until He and His companions passed unharmed beyond their reach. He had power to strike the mob down as dead men and hold them helpless until escape, and to strike revilers and blasphemers as dead men by angelic presence and brightness. Even the least and weakest angel if summoned could have instantly overpowered and dispersed the cruel mob and insulting throng and delivered Him. Unseen angels also surrounded Him when enemies threatened to stone Him, and He stood calm and unafraid knowing they could stop the attack.

As Commander in the heavenly courts accustomed to receive attendance, adoration and homage, He had angels of God ready to come at His bidding right to this small world. The angels wanted to surround their Commander and disperse the attackers, sympathizing with Him as their loved Commander. They were eager to break ranks to go to His assistance.

Willing Refusal To Escape

His seizure was voluntary surrender and not compulsion, helplessness, weakness, or inability to get away. He made no attempt to free Himself from His enemies and submitted to being taken, though unlimited divine help stood at hand for the asking. He had full power to resist and to escape arrest by praying to His Father for immediate angelic deliverance, and that very power to resist proves His capture was accepted and not forced. The same power that struck the armed mob prostrate and helpless to the ground could have kept them helpless until He and His companions passed unharmed beyond their reach.

He refused armed defense and rescue by angels, would not have His followers defend Him with swords, and would not resist arrest but let Himself be taken and bound. Though He had taught openly daily in the temple, He willingly let chief priests and temple officers seize Him with swords and clubs and did not ask His Father for rescue. After Peter in anger rashly drew his sword and cut off the high priest's servant's ear, He freed His own hands though firmly held by Roman soldiers, touched and instantly healed the wounded ear, and told Peter to put away the sword because those who use the sword perish by it. He had power to strike the mob down as dead men and hold them helpless until He and His companions escaped, and He could at once have been given an immense host of angels, yet He rebuked force and refused rescue.

The disciples did not understand His submission and were offended that He did not use that power to deliver Himself. Judas reasoned that because He could deliver Himself from arrest, betrayal could not change what was destined to happen, so that if He was to die He would be crucified and if not He would escape. Judas expected Him to be released and protected by divine power as before, and only when He continued to endure indignities without being rescued did Judas fear that he had betrayed Him to His death.

While standing bound and abused in the judgment hall as the Majesty of heaven He kept full command of divine help and deliberately refused to use it. He had power in an instant to call to His aid legions of holy angels, with even the least angel able at summons immediately to overpower the cruel mob and disperse the insulting throng. He Himself could have struck the excited multitude dead with a look or word of divinity, flashed forth His divine majesty upon His tormentors, and driven them frightened from His presence as He had driven the defilers of the temple, yet He answered with no word or look of retaliation.

Scripture Fulfilled Through Suffering

He held back that prayer and refused to be delivered or to escape by miracle because the Scriptures had to be fulfilled in His being taken, that it must happen in this way and that He must suffer in this way. He could have prayed to His Father at the moment He was seized by the band led by Judas and would at once have been given more than twelve legions of angels, a legion for each disciple, yet He would not resist arrest. His refusal was not weakness or inability to escape, for the same power that struck the armed mob prostrate and helpless could have kept them helpless until He and His companions passed beyond reach. He rebuked Peter's violent sword-stroke that cut off the high priest's servant's ear, freed His own hands though firmly held, touched and instantly healed the ear, and let Himself be taken.

He accepted the suffering and sacrifice appointed to Him and chose to drink the cup His Father had given Him and to submit to crucifixion rather than call on the heavenly host. He could have prayed for more than twelve legions of angels to protect and rescue Him from His captors, but He chose not to resist arrest. His willing submission was the fulfillment of what was written and the drinking of the appointed cup.

He did not seek release because He had to suffer the violence and scorn and abuse of wicked men to carry out the plan of salvation and the plan of redemption to which He had consented when He became Redeemer, to pay the ransom for humanity and rescue humanity from ruin. Even the weakest angel could have overpowered the crowd and the least angel if summoned could have instantly dispersed the insulting throng and delivered Him, yet He answered with no word or look of retaliation. While He stood bound and abused in the judgment hall He kept full command of divine help and deliberately refused to use it, though He Himself could have struck the excited multitude dead with a look or word of divinity or driven them frightened from His presence as He had driven the defilers of the temple. His death was necessary to save many, no angel's life could pay the debt, and only Jesus' life could serve as the ransom accepted by the Father, so He did not use that power to avoid His work of redeeming the human race.

He endured insult and abuse with meekness and patience and with dignified composure and resisted the temptation to retaliate or escape by miracle, keeping Himself a perfect offering. He had power to command the heavenly hosts and in an instant call to His aid legions of holy angels, with even one able to immediately overpower the cruel mob, and had power to strike down tormentors by flashing forth His divine majesty, yet He submitted to the coarsest insult and outrage. Satan instigated the cruel abuse by the debased mob led on by priests and rulers to provoke retaliation from the world's Redeemer or drive Him to deliver Himself by a miracle and thus break up the plan of salvation. One stain upon His human life and one failure of His humanity to bear the terrible test would have made the Lamb an imperfect offering and made the redemption of humanity fail, while His meekness and patience exalted Him above humanity and the acts of His torturers degraded them below humanity into the likeness of Satan.

His death on the cross was a willing sacrifice for those who reject His rule and place themselves under Satan's rule, though He could have called on the heavenly host to deliver Him. Because Christ and the Father are one, God Himself was crucified with Christ.

Heaven Restrained At Calvary

Holy angels were present at His suffering yet were ordered not to act, bidden not to break ranks to engage the taunting and reviling foe, and forbidden to interfere with His suffering and death. They were not permitted to minister to His anguished spirit or to give Him relief, sympathy, or comfort, though they pitied Him as their beloved Commander and longed to speak a word for Him. He therefore faced the darkness, the hiding of His Father's face, the sins of the world laid upon Him, and the power of Satan without angelic rescue or comfort until the cry of forsakenness was wrenched from Him. He yielded up His life forsaken by His believers and unattended by heaven.

Legions of evil angels surrounded the Son of God in His agony and at Calvary, and He endured the darkness and the penalty of sin without relief and without yielding to His foe. The Father's plan did not allow holy help, so they were restrained and Christ trod the winepress alone, with none of the people or angels with Him. Angels waited in hope that, as Isaac had been spared, Jesus would be spared at the last moment, but their silence marked the difference that Isaac was released while God's Son was allowed to die. He received no reprieve but endured humiliation, mockery, and crucifixion to rescue humanity from ruin, and His willing suffering and death reveal infinite love calling for complete willing obedience and devotion in return.

The hosts of heaven witnessed His humiliation, and angels faithfully recorded every insulting look, word, and act against their Commander. The men who scorned and spat upon His calm, pale face will see that face in glory shining brighter than the sun and will pray to be hidden from Him.

Humility Leaves Human Example

Though He could command more than twelve legions of angels to render Him homage and display His true princely character as heaven's King and Prince, He set aside that display of power and did not come attended by heavenly hosts. Laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown and concealing His divinity, He came to this small world in human form and garb, in lowliness, humility, and poverty, without honor, recognition, or angelic retinue. He was born to poor parents and came as a babe and child who lived and learned as a child, passing through human experience to be an example in all things and the great example of missionary work.

He honored the world by taking human nature upon Himself and honoring humanity in the sight of all created intelligences, coming to redeem the world and to bring hope and life and rescue people from destruction. He stood in this world as a man among men, subject to the temptations of the enemy but never swerving from loyalty to His heavenly Father. Though able to command the angels, He did not use His divine power to spare Himself the ordinary burdens of life, but lived and worked as a humble carpenter, sharing human toil, hardship, griefs, and ordinary burdens.

He never exercised His power for His own rescue or to spare Himself suffering, keeping His will anchored in His Father's will in willing submission and refusing to deviate from the path of God's appointment. When people sought to kill Him, angels sometimes preserved His life, yet He Himself did not call for twelve legions for His own deliverance. No bribe and no temptation to manifest His divine prerogatives could move Him, for three times Satan assailed Him on appetite, on pride, by captivating scenes of this world, and by challenge to give evidence that He was the Son of God, yet He gave none but righteously maintained His dignity as One to whom God has committed all power.

His mission in human character required Him meekly to endure taunts, stripes, insults, and blows as a passive captive, leaving an example of patient forbearance for the children of men. Even while a prisoner and the Majesty of heaven He had power in an instant to summon legions of loyal holy angels, with even one able at once to overpower the cruel mob, and to strike down tormentors by flashing forth His divine majesty, yet He submitted to the coarsest insult and outrage with dignified composure. His meekness and patience exalted Him above humanity and showed His kinship to God, while His captors, taking forbearance as license and signal for the basest insults their corrupt hearts could invent, degraded themselves below humanity into the likeness of Satan, led on by priests and rulers.

As the just dying for the unjust He bore the penalty of human sin without murmur, and though Son of God whose throne is from everlasting and whose kingdom shall have no end, He let Himself be made a subject of jest and merriment, reviling and hatred. When reviled He threatened not, when falsely accused He opened not His mouth, and on the cross He prayed for His murderers while dying for them and paying an infinite price for every one of them, enduring indignity, scorn, slight, spitting, crowning with thorns, and an ignominious death on Calvary to make a way of escape for lost man and give life to the lost. Unlike Isaac who was spared, He received no reprieve but endured humiliation, mockery, and crucifixion and died, and His willing suffering reveals God's infinite love.

That restraint teaches meekness and lowliness of mind and calls sinners to humble penitence at the foot of the cross, to love Him and make Him first and last and best, to leave forbidden pleasure, complaint, revenge, pride and vanity, to crave the suffering part, to be perfectly subdued from passion and impatience by grace, to endure small trials without murmur over any sacrifice, with promise that sharing His suffering leads to sharing His glory. By accepting suffering and the temptations wherewith man is tempted in all points, He revealed that it is possible to be victorious overcomers through union with Him as He is one with the Father. His refusal of display sets the order for work with no needless grand display in medical missionary work, or in buildings, dress, adornment, means, methods, or any line, but careful study to be in accordance with His self-denying plan through earnest, persevering personal labor calling men and women to the supper God has prepared.

He is first and best and everything, all hopes centered in Him, and He is to be made the center, having angels of God ready to come at His bidding right to this small world in working out salvation. Christ has heaven's armies and the angelic host under His authority and is always with the majority.