And there appeared an angel unto him from
heaven
Whether this was Michael the archangel, as some have conjectured,
or Gabriel, or what particular angel, is not for us to know, nor
is it of any importance: it is certain, it was a good angel: "an
angel of God", as the Ethiopic version reads; since he came from
heaven, and was one of the angels of heaven, sent by God on this
occasion; and it is clear also, that he was in a visible form,
and was seen by Christ, since he is said to appear to him:
strengthening him;
under his present distress, against the terrors of Satan, and the
fears of death, by assuring him of the divine favour, as man, and
of the fulfilment of the promises to him to stand by him, assist,
strengthen, and carry him through what was before him; and by
observing to him the glory and honour he should be crowned with,
after his sufferings and death, find the complete salvation of
his people, which would be obtained hereby, and which was the joy
set before him; and which animated him, as man, to bear the
cross, and despise the shame with a brave and heroic Spirit. Now,
though God the Father could have strengthened the human nature of
Christ, without making use of an angel; and Christ could have
strengthened it himself, by his divine nature, to which it was
united; but the human nature was to be brought into so low a
condition, and to be left to itself, as to stand in need of the
assistance of an angel: and this shows not only the ministration
of angels to Christ, as man, but that he was at this present time
made a little lower than the angels, who was the Creator and Lord
of them; as he afterwards more apparently was, through the
sufferings of death.