John Calvin Commentary Matthew 26:53

"Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?" — Matthew 26:53 (ASV)

Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father? Now follows that special reason which I mentioned a little while ago; for Christ reminds them that He would have at His command a better and more legitimate kind of defense, if it were not that He must obey the decree of the Father. The substance of what He says is this: “As He has been appointed by the eternal purpose of God to be a sacrifice, and as this has been declared by the predictions of Scripture, He must not fight against it.”

Thus Peter’s rashness is condemned on another ground: that he not only endeavors to overturn a heavenly decree but also to obstruct the path of the redemption of mankind. Not only did Peter drew his sword unlawfully, but the disciples were foolish and mad; for—though they were few in number and feeble—they attempted to make some resistance to a band of soldiers and a very great multitude.

On this account, the Lord, in order to make their folly more manifest, employs this comparison: “If He wished to have a guard to defend His life, He would immediately obtain not eleven angels, but a large and invincible army. And since He does not implore that angels may be sent to assist Him, much less would He resort to ill-considered means from which no advantage was to be expected; for the utmost that could be accomplished by the disciples would be of no more service than if a few rooks were to make a noise.”

But here some commentators labor in vain inquiring how Christ could have obtained a commission of angels from His Father, by whose decree He had to suffer death. For the two things are inconsistent: that God exposed His Son to death naked and defenseless, because it was necessary and had been appointed; and yet, that He might have been prevailed upon by prayer to send Him relief. But Christ speaks conditionally, that He has a far better method of defending His life, if it were not that the will of the Father was opposed to it. This removes all contradiction, for Christ refrained from presenting such a request to His Father because He knew that it was contrary to His decree.

Yet from this we draw a useful doctrine: those who resort to unlawful means on the plea of necessity dishonor God. If a person is destitute of lawful aid and support, they run headlong into wicked schemes and sinful undertakings. The reason is that few look for the secret protection of God, which alone ought to be sufficient to set our minds at rest. Are we threatened with danger? Because no remedy can be discovered according to the flesh, we devise one scheme or another, as if there were no angels in heaven who — Scripture frequently tells us — are placed as guardians for our salvation (Hebrews 1:14). In this way, we deprive ourselves of their assistance, for all who are impelled by their restlessness and excessive anxiety to stretch out their hands to forbidden remedies for evils unquestionably renounce the providence of God.