Luke 22:43-44

Luke 22:43-44

[43] And  an angel  unto him  from  heaven,  strengthening  him.  [44] And  being  in  an agony  he prayed  more earnestly:  his  sweat  was  as it were  great drops  of blood  falling down  to  the ground. 

What does Luke 22:43-44 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Only Luke mentioned the angel who strengthened Jesus (cf. Luke 9:26; Luke 12:8-9; Luke 15:10; Luke 16:22; Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13). Probably he did this to help his readers realize the supernatural strength that praying brings (cf. 1 Kings 19:5-6; Daniel 10:17-18). However the angel"s presence did not remove the agony that Jesus felt as He prayed. The implication may be that the angel"s help enabled Jesus to pray more intensely and so to resist temptation more effectively. Jesus" fervency, like His posture, reflected His feelings, this time His horror at the prospect of the Cross. God does not always spare us trials, but He provides strength to face them. [1]
"His going into Death was His final conflict with Satan for Prayer of Manasseh , and on his behalf. By submitting to it He took away the power of Death; He disarmed Death by burying his shaft in His own Heart." [2]
In what sense was Jesus" sweat similar to drops of blood? Perhaps it was so profuse that it resembled blood flowing from a wound. [1]9 Perhaps there is an allusion to this suffering being the fulfillment of God"s judgment on Adam when He said that Adam would live by the sweat of his brow ( Genesis 3:19). [4] Luke may have been creating a rhetorical expression, namely, tears of blood. [5] Perhaps Jesus" sweat was red because blood exuded through the pores of His skin. [6] Probably Luke made a connection with blood because Jesus" sweat was the result of His great sufferings as shedding blood is often the result of intense suffering. The point then is that Jesus was sweating profusely, and His sweat was the result of His suffering in anticipation of the Cross.