Matthew 26:53

That is to say, I need not the aid of the Apostles, though all the twelve should fight for me, seeing I could have twelve legions of the Angelic army. The complement of a legion among the ancients was six thousand men; twelve legions then are seventy-two thousand Angels, being as many as the divisions of the human race and languaget.

Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father etc. Here he assigns the reason for calming Peter's spirit, giving him to understand that he was suffering willingly and that he could escape. And because he saw him being presumptuous, therefore he says I cannot ask …

He did not say, "I can bring to My side twelve legions of angels," but "[I can] pray to My Father," speaking by divine dispensation as a man, out of consideration for their weakness. By sweat, by fear, and in many ways did He show …

He will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels - The least of whom, it is probable, could overturn the earth and destroy all the inhabitants of it.

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,.... Meaning, if he thought proper, or that there was any necessity for it, or that he was desirous of being rescued out of such hands he was falling into.

More than twelve legions of angels? - As if he had said, Instead of you twelve, one of whom is a traitor, my Father can give me more than twelve legions of angels to defend me. A legion, at different times, contained different numbers; 4,200, 5,000, and frequently 6,000 men; and from this saying, taking the latter number, which is the common rate, may we not-safely believe that the angels of God amount to more than 72,000?

We see in these verses the cup of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings beginning to be filled. We see him betrayed by one of his disciples, forsaken by the rest, and taken prisoner by his deadly enemies. Never surely was there sorrow like his sorrow. Never may we forget, as we read this part of the Bible, that our sins were the cause of these sorrows! Jesus was “delivered was delivered for our offences.” ( Romans 4:25 ). Let us notice for one thing in these verses what gracious condescension marked our Lord’s intercourse with his disciples.

We see in these verses the cup of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings beginning to be filled. We see him betrayed by one of his disciples, forsaken by the rest, and taken prisoner by his deadly enemies. Never surely was there sorrow like his sorrow. Never may we forget, as we read this part of the Bible, that our sins were the cause of these sorrows! Jesus was “delivered was delivered for our offences.” ( Romans 4:25 ). Let us notice for one thing in these verses what gracious condescension marked our Lord’s intercourse with his disciples. We have this point proved by a deeply touching circumstance at the moment of our Lord’s betrayal. When Judas Iscariot undertook to guide the multitude to the place where his Master was, he gave them a sign by which they might distinguish Jesus in the dim moonlight from his disciples: he said, “Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he.” And so, when he came to Jesus, he said, “Hail master, and kissed him!” That simple fact reveals the affectionate terms on which the disciples associated with our Lord. It is a universal custom in eastern countries, when friend meets friend, to salute one another with a kiss ( ). It would seem therefore, that when Judas kissed our Lord, he only did what all the apostles were accustomed to do when they met their Master after an absence. Let us draw comfort from this little circumstance for our own souls. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a most gracious and condescending Saviour. He is not an “austere man,” repelling sinners and keeping them at a distance; he is not a being so different from us in nature that we must regard him with awe rather than affection: he would have us rather regard him as an elder brother, and a beloved friend. His heart in heaven is still the same that it was on earth: he is ever meek merciful and condescending to men of low estate. Let us trust him, and not be afraid.

IT is the garden of Gethsemane. Here stands our Lord and yonder is the betrayer. He is foremost of the multitude. You know his face, the face of that son of perdition, even Judas Iscariot. He comes forward, leaving the men with the staves, the swords, the torches and lanterns. He proceeds to kiss his Master—it is the token by which the officers are to know their victim. You perceive at once that the disciples are excited. One of them cries, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Their love to their Master has overcome their prudence! There are but 11 of them—a small band to fight against the mob sent by the authorities to arrest their Master—but love makes no reckoning of odds. Before an answer can be given, Peter has struck the first blow and the servant of the High Priest has narrowly escaped having his head split in two! As it is, his ear is cut off. One is not altogether surprised at Peter's act, for, in addition to his headlong zeal, he had most likely misunderstood the saying of his Lord at supper—"He that has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." There was not time for our Lord to explain, but they were so accustomed to his concrete style of speech that they should not have misunderstood Him, but they did so. He had simply told them that the days of peace, in which they could go in and out among the people and be joyfully received by them, had now come to an end, for, as He, Himself, who had once been in favor with all the people, would now be "reckoned among the transgressors," (see Luke 22:35-38), so would they be counted among the offscouring of all things. Now they could no longer reckon on the hospitality of a friendly people, but must carry their own purse and scrip. And instead of feeling safe wherever they went, they must understand that they were in an enemy's country and must travel through the world like men armed for self-defense.

IT is the garden of Gethsemane. Here stands our Lord and yonder is the betrayer. He is foremost of the multitude. You know his face, the face of that son of perdition, even Judas Iscariot. He comes forward, leaving the men with the staves, the swords, the torches and lanterns. He proceeds to kiss his Master—it is the token by which the officers are to know their victim. You perceive at once that the disciples are excited. One of them cries, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Their love to their Master has overcome their prudence!