And there appeared an angel to him from heaven, strengthening him.
an.
Luke 4:10,11 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: …
Psalm 91:11,12 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways…
Matthew 4:6,11 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone…
strengthening.
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Deuteronomy 3:28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
Job 4:3,4 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands…
appeared to Him
The appearance of the angel to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane highlights the intense spiritual and emotional struggle Jesus was experiencing. This moment is pivotal, as it occurs just before His arrest and crucifixion. The angel's appearance serves as a divine affirmation of Jesus' mission and the Father's presence with Him during His time of need. This moment is unique to Luke's Gospel, emphasizing the humanity of Jesus and His need for divine support.
and strengthened Him.
The strengthening of Jesus by the angel indicates the physical and spiritual fortification necessary for Him to endure the upcoming trials. This act of strengthening is not merely physical but also spiritual, preparing Jesus to face the immense suffering of the crucifixion. It reflects the fulfillment of prophecy and the typology of Jesus as the suffering servant, as seen in Isaiah 53. The strengthening also parallels the support given to other biblical figures, such as Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-8, where divine intervention provides sustenance and strength for the journey ahead.
• “Then” roots the event in a precise moment—after Jesus prays, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
• Scripture presents God’s answers in real time: immediately in Exodus 14:15–16, and “at once” when Peter sinks (Matthew 14:31). This word reminds us that heaven responds at the exact moment decreed by the Father.
• The sequence shows perfect divine order—first surrender, then supply (cf. James 4:7–8).
• Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people (Hebrews 1:14).
• They encouraged Hagar (Genesis 16:7–10), guarded Israel (Exodus 23:20), and announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:9–11).
• Matthew 4:11 records angels ministering after Jesus’ wilderness temptation. Gethsemane repeats that heavenly pattern of aid.
• The source underscores that help is divine, not human (Psalm 121:1–2).
• Angels “ascend and descend on the Son of Man” (John 1:51), showing unhindered traffic between heaven and earth when God ordains.
• Daniel 10:12–13 reveals angels dispatched in answer to prayer, reinforcing that Gethsemane’s help is part of God’s gracious oversight.
• The angel becomes visible, just as angels stood before Gideon (Judges 6:12) and Zechariah (Luke 1:11).
• Visibility underlines personal attention; the Father does not merely send strength abstractly but through a recognizable messenger.
• Acts 12:7 records an angel who “struck Peter on the side” to wake him—again, tangible presence that stirs courage.
• The angel does not remove the cup but equips Jesus to drink it. Strengthening includes:
– Physical fortification for impending arrest, trials, and crucifixion (cf. Matthew 26:56).
– Emotional encouragement, echoing Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
– Confirmation of the Father’s approval, similar to the transfiguration voice (Luke 9:35).
• Philippians 4:13 affirms the principle: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” If the sinless Son received strengthening, believers may confidently expect God’s enabling grace.
Luke 22:43 showcases the Father’s timely, heavenly aid in response to the Son’s surrendered prayer. A real angel, dispatched from heaven, becomes visibly present and tangibly fortifies Jesus for the redemptive task ahead. The verse assures us that God’s help arrives exactly when needed, by His chosen means, empowering obedience even in the darkest hour.
(43) There appeared an angel unto him from heaven.--This and the following verses are omitted by not a few of the best MSS., but the balance of evidence is, on the whole, in their favour. Assuming their truth as part of the Gospel, we ask--(1) How came the fact to be known to St. Luke, when St. Matthew and St. Mark had made no mention of it? and (2) What is the precise nature of the fact narrated? As regards (2), it may be noted that the angel is said to have "appeared to him," to our Lord only, and not to the disciples. He was conscious of a new strength to endure even to the end. And that strength would show itself to others, to disciples who watched Him afar off, in a new expression and look, flashes of victorious strength and joy alternating with throbs and spasms of anguish. Whence could that strength come but from the messengers of His Father, in Whose presence, and in communion with Whom He habitually lived (Matthew 4:11; John 1:51). The ministrations which had been with Him in His first temptation were now with Him in the last (Matthew 4:11). As to (1) we may think of one of the disciples who were present having reported to the "devout women," from whom St. Luke probably, as we have seen, derived so much of the materials for his Gospel (see Introduction), that he had thus seen what seemed to him to admit of no other explanation.Verse 43. - And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. The Lord's words reported by St. Matthew were no mere figure of rhetoric. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." The anguish and horror were so great that he himself, according to his humanity, must have before the time become the victim of death had he not been specially strengthened from above. This is the deep significance and necessity of the angel's appearance. So Stier and Godet, the latter of whom writes, "As when in the wilderness under the pressure of famine he felt himself dying, the presence of this heavenly being sends a vivifying breath over him, - a Divine refreshing pervades him, body and soul, and it is thus he receives strength to continue to the last the struggle."