“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 ESV).
When Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and was being arrested, the gospel of Matthew reported that one of those with Jesus drew his sword and cut off a man’s ear. The apostle John identified this man as the apostle Peter (John 18:10). At this, Jesus rebuked Peter and healed the man’s ear (Luke 22:51). Jesus didn’t need Peter or anyone to defend him. He didn’t come to judge the world at the head of twelve legions of angels. No. He came to save the world.
As Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).
Every time I read how Jesus chose not to respond with judgment and instead offered himself as a sacrifice for our sin, I am overcome with emotion and reminded of a hymn we used to sing when I was a child. It was called “He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels.”
Written in 1958 by a country singer named Ray Overholt, he wasn’t a believer when he wrote the song. He said, “One day I thought to myself: I’ve written secular songs, I’d like to write a song about Christ. I opened the Bible and began to read the portion of Scripture that describes Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, telling Peter to put away his sword.”
Overholt said. “I read where Jesus told Peter that he could ask his Father and he would send twelve legions of angels. I didn’t know at the time that that would have been more than 72,000 angels.” Overholt later said that it was the writing of this song that brought him to the point of believing and receiving Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
I can still remember my mother singing the chorus of Overholt’s song with tears pouring down her face:
“He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free
He could have called ten thousand angels
But He died alone for you and me.”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are amazed at Your love for us that You would send You beloved Son not to judge us, but to save us. Thank You, Lord. Now strengthen us to always live for You and to tell others of Your great love and salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.