Or do you think that I cannot plead with my Father, and that right now he would send to me more than twelve legions of angels?
In this saying Christ reveals His divine power and at the same time His voluntary obedience. He shows that, if He wished, He could in an instant appeal to the Father, and He would send heavenly forces for His protection. The expression “twelve legions of angels” (in ancient times a legion was about six thousand soldiers) emphasizes the image of boundless power, in contrast to the few armed men who had come to seize Him. But Jesus consciously does not make use of that power, because His mission is not to be saved from death, but to save humanity from death. He has full command of the situation, yet He chooses the path of humility and sacrifice. In this way the Lord shows His followers that faith first of all requires voluntary obedience to God’s will, because true victory is not in the use of force, but in submitting to God’s will. This saying also emphasizes that God’s plan for our life is always broader, deeper, and more complete than the understanding we have of that plan.