Luke 22:43

Luke 22:43. Appeared unto him an angel. An actual coming of an angel, not merely a spiritual accession of strength. Angels had thus ministered to Him at His previous temptation, according to Matthew and Mark, so that it cannot be said that the notion is peculiar to Luke. How He was strengthened is not so clear. Some think it was a physical strengthening, the imparting to His body, so overwhelmed in this conflict, new power to endure, to drink the cup which would not be removed. This is favored by the fact that the previous ministration was to His physical wants. Others again prefer that the holy soul of our Lord, now seized by the intensest feeling of suffering, was strengthened by the brightening prospect of future joy, presented to Him in some way more vividly by the coming of the angel. Neither of these is inconsistent with proper views of the Person of Christ. In fact it is simplest to suppose that both body and soul received direct supplies of strength in this hour of deepest trial. We think it most natural to place this strengthening between the first and second prayer, since there are indications in the fuller accounts of Matthew and Mark that the intensest conflict was passed when the second and third prayers were uttered.