Moment of Meditation: Twelve Legions of Angels (Matthew 26:53)

''[Jesus says:] "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53).''

This morning's verse lends itself to one of the great mysteries of the Bible: How many angels did God create? This leads to the idle speculation like, "How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?"

But this verse has nothing to do with the number of angels. While Jesus says that He could call down 64,800 angels with a single command, this has nothing to do with the number of angels. It has everything to do with Jesus' divine power.

Peter had already declared Jesus to be the "Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). But do they get it? Of course not. Peter wouldn't strike Malchus' ear defending Jesus if He understood what it meant for Jesus to be God incarnate.

Jesus tells the disciples that He needs '''NO''' defending. God's plan of salvation is Jesus' willing, uncomplaining submission to death by crucifixion. Submission to being forsaken by God (Psalm 22:1). If He wanted to be defended, if He wanted to show off His divine power, He could have.

But He was on His way to Calvary. There was no stopping the world's salvation now. It would all be finished within the next day. Finished for you. Amen.