41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Angels Ministered to Him!
It should be noted, before unfolding the above text, that “some” manuscripts omit verses 43 and 44; the comments about angels ministering to Jesus and His prayer being so intense He sweet, as it were, drops of blood. Some do and some don’t. There are, however, plenty of text that speak of angels ministers both to Christ and to the Apostles and to believers:
1. After Jesus Temptation in the wilderness, angels were sent to minister to Him (Matthew 4:11).
2. When Peter was put in jail and angel of the Lord came to free him (Acts 5).
3. Philip was introduced to the Ethiopian eunuch by an angel of the Lord (Acts 8).
4. The early church was told they, “at times,” entertain angels, although unaware it is happening (Hebrews 13:2).
Note that the writer of Hebrews also tells us the reason angels were created:
Hebrews 1:14 (ESV Strong's)
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
We have no idea if the prayers of Jesus produced blood drops, as it says in the above text. That is the only verse that tells us this story. But, we have numerous text that tell us that angels did minister to Jesus and others in times of need. We are told they will minister to us in times of need. We are not to worship angels, but we ought to rejoice in the fact that God sends heavenly beings to care for us. We have the Spirit of God within us and the ministers of God around us. Notice how Elisha opened the eyes of his servant when the servant was in fear of the army of men coming to defeat them:
2 Kings 6:17 (ESV Strong's)
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
We ought to rejoice that, in the midst of turmoil and struggle and pain and suffering, God is caring for us in multiple ways. Angels ministered to Christ in a time He needed strength. They do for us, as well.
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