Twelve Legions of Angels

There are times when you open up the Bible and you are struck by a verse. You might have read that verse so many times, and yet passed over it, didn't realize how truly important it is. This happened to me two weeks ago. I was going through a certain park and I was just flabbergasted. My eyes just got wide with this particular verse.

I hadn't paid enough attention to it. Remember, for us, this Bible is like a time machine. You can go back in time. God describes the past, he describes the present, and he describes the future. This is better than any video game in your life.

I'm going to put you in one of these rabbit holes. We're going to go into the Bible through a verse. It's going to open up a whole world that no movie that has ever been produced could equal. The beauty, the importance for our own lives. We're going to go into, maybe you can also say, a wormhole, or you'll go from this present place into another place, which is the spiritual world.

So, you ready to hear about that verse? Okay, let's take that trip into the Bible. It's Isaiah. I mean, I'm sorry. Matthew 26 verse 53. Matthew 26 verse 53. Like I said, I've read it, but I hadn't paid much attention to it. Matthew 26 verse 53. Jesus, when he was arrested, said the following thing. He told his disciples, or do you think that I cannot now pray to my father?

He was about ready to get arrested by a mob of people with swords and clubs. And he said, and he will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels. So here, this big mob comes, as you can notice in verse 47. It says, and while he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

So they had sent these men to arrest him. And here was Jesus Christ facing that mob. And what did he say? He said, hold it to his disciples. Don't you think that I have the authority and I have the power to ask my father in heaven if I wanted this stopped immediately? And he would send twelve legions of angels to surround him and his disciples. Nobody could touch them otherwise. Now, a legion comes from the word, for the Latin word, for six thousand angels. It's a group of soldiers. A legion of soldiers consisted of some six thousand men. And Christ said, look, I could bring twelve groups of angels to protect the eleven apostles that were there.

Judas had already been removed. Plus Christ, they would have been protected. They would not have been able to put an arm on Jesus. And so here we go into this moment that Jesus, as God in the flesh, had the power. If he wanted to, he could have stopped everything. He knew the consequences of being arrested, what he was going to go through, torture and death. And so he mentioned that to his disciples who say, look, I am permitting this. This has to be carried out. Notice what it says in verse 54. If he had the angels to protect them, verse 54, but how then could the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus in this way?

So can you imagine the humility, the love that he has that he could have stopped everything? But he said, no, I'm doing this for each one of us, for mankind. And so even if I have all this power, I'm not going to use it. I have chosen to humbly accept everything that is coming to pay for your sins.

Let's continue in verse 48. It says, now his betrayer had given them a sign, talking about Judas, saying, whomever I kiss, he is the one sees him. Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, greetings, Rabbi, and kissed him. But Jesus said to him, friend, why have you come? Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And believe me, he wasn't aiming for the ear. It just happened that he just ducked. Instead of getting his head split, he cut his ear off. But Jesus said to him, put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

So we're first going to look at the mention of these twelve legions of angels. In front of all that violence and hate, Jesus calmly told his disciples he could be given angels to protect him. Can you imagine 72,000 angels? They could have wiped everything out in front of them. They could have defeated the Romans. Jesus Christ could have become king of the world with this invincible army of angels about him. It was not the time nor the place. He had to be like the humble lamb, offer himself in sacrifice. But it was a lamb that was the son of God and God in the flesh. So how much power does an angel have? Notice what one angel was able to do in the past. In 2 Kings, let's go to 2 Kings and then keep your finger here in Matthew because we're going to be going back. 2 Kings 19.34. This is another period of time when a big army surrounded Jerusalem. The Syrian army that had been undefeated was ready to make war with Jerusalem. It says in 2 Kings 19.34, God tells Isaiah to mention to the king, He said, For I will deliver this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake. So God says, Jerusalem, which was built by David, and I still have that fondness of his memory, of his great devotion to me, and all the psalms composed, all the obedience of David, although it wasn't perfect, believe me, if you had a list of all the achievements and all the weaknesses, the achievements would have been about ten times more. And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord, one of God's selected angels, went out and killed in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000, talking about soldiers. And when people arose in the morning, there were the corpses, all dead. So, mighty Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed him, went away, he fled, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.

Later, he was assassinated, as the next verse mentions. But just one angel. How would you like to have 70,000 angels at your disposal? Christ had that, but he chose not to exercise his right for us. That is the depth of love that he had. Because one thing is, when you're resigned to it, okay, here's a big mob of people, and what are we going to do? Another thing is saying, look, that mob of people means nothing to me. I could instantly take care of all of them. But he had self-control. He had self-discipline. He sacrificed his rights for our sake.

One of the commentators in the Bible, who wrote, Barkley, in his daily study Bible, says the following, William Barkley, Jesus died not because men killed him, but because he chose to die. He chose to die because he knew that his death was necessary to fulfill God's purposes. He took this way because it was the very thing that had been foretold by the prophets, and the Scriptures had to be fulfilled. So he was going to obey God the Father over all of his self-interest and natural desire to continue living.

Let's look at what that depth of Christ's love is for us to never doubt it. If he was willing to do that and withhold and saving his skin, most people avoid it. To save their skin, they'll do anything. Jesus Christ did not do it.

He had in his power the ability to avoid all of this, and he made the ultimate sacrifice freely. The same person who is alive now in heaven, who cares for each one of us. He has not changed. He has the same love for us. Sacrificial love. Notice in John chapter 10. John chapter 10 in verse 17.

Christ showed here that the Father had told him, it's up to you. If you want the angels, they're going to be there. And we'll just change the plan and whatever it takes. But it's up to you whether to do it or not that way. He says in John chapter 10 verse 17.

Therefore, Jesus says, my Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father. So it was up to him. There weren't any shortcuts. He didn't say, oh Father, you take care of things. No, it was up to him. And that's why it was voluntary. It was something freely chosen by him to suffer the ultimate sacrifice of being put in a cross, being in some wooden stake of some shape, and being nailed to that.

Let's go to Ephesians chapter 3. And again, it doesn't matter where we're young and starting in the church or we've been here for so long. We need to always be reminded. He had 12 legions of angels at his disposal at any time. He could have just pulled the plug on everything. Mankind would not have had eternal life. But he was thinking about that. In Ephesians 3 verse 8, this is a scripture that I always have been amazed by and loved. Paul says, to me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Unsearchable means you can't touch bottom as far as what his love.

Notice that word, unsearchable. It means something that can't be traced out by human footprints. In other words, you can't just measure it like you do. You want to walk a mile? Well, you can walk and basically each stride is about three feet and that's the way you come to the Roman mile. But here it says it's unsearchable. You cannot measure it. It says, if Paul had tried to measure and define that grace of God, that unmerited favor and love and forgiveness, he found himself like a man tracking the confines of a lake. He wants to measure how the circular lake would be, kind of the circumference of the lake. And discovering it was not a lake at all, but an arm of the ocean and that he was confronted by the immeasurable sea. How do you walk around the Pacific Ocean? Now, you can't because it's just one continent here, another one's here, and the other one's here. You can't cross it. You can't walk it. And he's saying this is the unsearchable, immeasurable love that God has for us. It goes on to say in verse 14, it says, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. So God is a family. He's bringing children into his family, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through the spirit in the inner man, a God's spirit working in you, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, that should be the motivation, may be able to comprehend with all the saints, all the church members, what is the width and length and depth and height, the four different dimensions, to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. So we can spend our lives just contemplating what that love was. You had 12 legions of angels. God would not have said, no, son, it's up to you, and would have stopped all of the suffering that Jesus Christ was about to face, and he decided not to do it.

And so, as the third lesson about this verse, the first one was about the legions of angels that Christ had available, the second one, the depth of Christ's love for us, and this is the third lesson, Christ's lesson about the swords. He mentioned about the swords here. There's a big meaning behind this, and not advocating using them with violence. Now, swords were used not only for defending yourselves, but also it was a very handy tool in those days. You had animals. Sometimes you had to sleep outside, and you didn't have a gun or a pistol. You had a sword to defend yourself, because there were wild animals that lived everywhere. You also used it as an axe to cut wood, to build a fire. So there are many things to use it, but Christ said you are not to use it on people. Notice in Matthew 26, let's go back there, verse 49, because he left a very important message. Message that might not be popular today. You see different wars that are going on, and you interview one side, and they say, No, we're right, and then you interview the other side, No, we're right, and they're using swords, and they're killing people. And so that has been the way of the world. But Christ said, Not with my people. Notice in Matthew 26, verse 49, it says immediately when he went up talking about Judas, and then in verse 51, And suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, Put your sword in its place. In other words, don't go. This isn't my kingdom. This is not the time for my people to fight. He says, For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. And so Christ was telling him, Put the sword away. That's not the purpose that I had. Notice in Luke chapter 9, verse 56, Luke chapter 9, verse 56, he said, Why he came here? He says, For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

So he wasn't there to become a ruler and have a big army and set up a kingdom, as man often does. Luke chapter 22, verse 34. Why did Peter have a sword? Luke 22, verse 34. He was speaking here during the Passover period. Then he said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny me three times that you know me. And he said to them, When I sent you without money bag, knapsack and sandals, did you lack anything? So they said, nothing. Then he said to them, But now he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack. And he who has no sword, let him sell his garments and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in me. So why did they need to have swords? He says, this is part of Scripture. He says, And he was numbered with the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end. So they said, Look, look, here are two swords. And he said to them, it is enough. So it was prohibited for regular citizens to go around with swords. The Roman government didn't allow that. That was breaking Roman law because they feared people could revolt. And so the fact that when Christ was arrested, Peter had one of those swords and used it this way, it would have meant that this was a crime. And the Romans were going to pay a very heavy punishment on them, put it upon them, if they did this. Notice in verse 48, it says, But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss? When those around him saw what was going to happen, they said to him, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? So you see, they're ready. Okay, let's go for it. Well, we're going to defend you. We're going to have sword against sword. What did Jesus reply? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off the right ear. But Jesus answered and said, permit even this. In other words, stop this right now. And he touched his ear and healed him. So he picked up the ear and Jesus had the power to be able to put him and heal the person. And the ear completely was healed. And you can tell the difference. There weren't any type of scar tissue or anything.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains and temples, the elders who had come in, have you come out as against the robber with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize me, but this is your hour. Yes, this is the hour that Satan was going to do his bidding and the power of darkness. So you were fulfilling a prophecy that Jesus Christ was going to be an outlaw. He was going to be executed as a criminal. And for that, they needed those two swords to bring it out. Notice in Isaiah 53, where we have a prophecy of how Jesus Christ was going to die. Remember, this was about 80 years before the prophet Isaiah spoke this in the Old Testament, approximately about 80 years before Jerusalem was established and everything else took place. In Isaiah 53 verse 12, it says, Because he poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors. Other translations have it. He was an outlaw with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. He prayed, Remember, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they're doing. So you see, Jesus Christ was always showing love, even in the worst conditions. Here's this servant. They came with clubs and swords, and one of the servants got his ear cut off. And what did Christ do? He just picked it up and put it back in its place because he showed that love. He showed that concern.

Notice in John 18 verse 10 about this same incident. John chapter 18 verse 10. It says, Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. And John actually mentioned what the servant's name was. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into the sheaf. Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me? So he knew what he had to carry out. But again, what tremendous constitution and self-control to be in the midst of all that hate and violence. And he's there, worried about the servant's ear. See, that's a proof that that's God in the flesh because he wasn't thinking about himself.

One of the commentators, believers commentary, says the following. Jesus healed Malchus' ear. Is this not a wonderful display of grace? He loved those who hated him and showed kindness to those who were after his life. If Jesus had desired to resist the mob, he would not have been limited to Peter's puny sword. In an instant, he could have asked for and been sent more than 12 legions of angels. Again, that's the title of the message. 12 legions of angels. What it means. But that would only have frustrated God's divine program. The Scriptures predicted his betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection had to be fulfilled, in which the use of violence would normally have been expected. He rebuked Peter. All who take the sword will perish by the sword. It was in this context in which the use of violence would normally have been expected. That's what you usually hear. Somebody comes and there's a fight, not with Jesus Christ. But Jesus lived a way of nonviolence. He believed in the act of power of love and gave his life rather than defend himself. His words, put away the sword, make it incorrect to follow Luther's interpretation that Jesus approved the use of the sword. So the Lutheran Church that was established by Martin Luther in Germany. He took that verse and said, you see they have two swords and Peter used one. So now we can go and fight the Catholics with the sword. The Catholics had Augustine of Hippo, the church theologian, and he said, well, you can use the sword too, because the Bible says go ahead and force them into the kingdom. But not by the point of the sword. So this is the way we had Christian warfare up to today. But that was not Jesus' way. It's not the church's way to show hate toward those who hate you. And I know it's tough, but Jesus gave us the best example of this.

Continuing on in this believers' commentary, it says Jesus is the prototype or the example of his followers who renounce violence. His access to power was not used for his own self-interest. Rather, he lived by the authority of Scripture and its fulfillment. So it's tough to do this. But can you imagine if we didn't have this type of violence in the world? What a difference. Things are multiplying, brother. We've had very serious wars just in this past year. And it's getting worse. It's not only now in the Ukraine, where there are even now the Russian leader talking about using tactical nuclear war bombs. Tactical means more limited, but that's one of the threats. We don't know what's going to happen. We're going into the third year of the war in Ukraine, and you read that every day. People getting slaughtered and hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. Why? Use the sword. You think that's going to solve the problems? Now we've got nuclear swords. How much worse is that? So man is not solving the problem. We have less peace now than ever before because the weapons have multiplied. Now we have artificial intelligence, which means you can have robots with laser beams. That's where the future is going. And so Christ is going to have to stop this world from going into more of its madness.

And by the way, that's one of the reasons sometimes he chooses to take some people because he knows what's in the future. And the circumstances that are going to happen. It's got to be nice if you can die in your bed, in your sleep. Notice what it says in Isaiah 57. Verse 1. I'm going to read it in the easy reading version. Isaiah 57 verse 1 and 2. It says, All the good people are gone and no one notices the loyal followers who were gathered. But no one knows why the reason they were gathered up is that trouble is coming. Trouble is coming.

And so I hope we don't live to that time. Like Khrushchev said that we go through a major nuclear war where he says that the dead, the living will envy the dead. So that's the type of world. It's very dangerous.

So what are the takeaways? What are the action steps? First of all, I hope you remember that those 12 legions of angels remind us how deep is God's love for us, God the Father's and Jesus Christ. They had the moment to stop everything. I mean, how cruel was that destiny? Torturing the Son of God, the one who was the one, the creator of all things.

So we should never doubt it. Sometimes we think God doesn't listen. Look, he knows what ultimate pain is. Secondly, practice non-violence in our lives because it is God's way. Have you ever been there where there's a big dispute? Maybe fists are coming out. Are you the type that stops that? Are you the one that just, okay, let's roll up our sleeves? We have to learn to be as calm as Jesus Christ. And know he has angels about us. He'll protect us if we do it his way because it is God's way. And thirdly, always give thanks to both God the Father and Jesus Christ for what they have done to us. Here, they didn't have to do any sacrifice. And yet, they wanted so badly in his kingdom that he was willing to do this. Sometimes we're not even willing to open the door for someone else. That's how cruel human beings can be. We don't even think about others as much as we need to.

So, remember what they have done. Let's go to the last scripture, Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12. I'm sorry. Hebrews 2. That's what I wanted to say. I didn't have this scripture in my notes. Hebrews 2. It says, Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the words spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? Now, let's go to Hebrews 12, which is the other scripture along this one. It's part two of this. It says, verse one, Therefore, we also, since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, all of these people that cross the finish line, were faithful to the end. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Yes, He's in heaven. He wants us to finish the race, the author and finisher of our faith. He's the one that began what faith is, and He's the finisher. He's there with us. He's our coach, who for the joy that was set beforehand, the joy of what He was sacrificing for each one of us, endured the cross, in other words, all that torture, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, we've seen that example, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. So, twelve legions of angels. There's one little verse there that talks about that. We went into the biblical world, and we see how much God the Father and Jesus Christ did for us.