why calling apply on Math.max works and without it doens't

why calling apply on Math.max works and without it doens't

If you asked me to get the max of an array, I would just do:
var nums = [66,3,8,213,965,1,453];
Math.max.apply(Math, nums);
of course, I could also do: nums.sort(function(a, b){ return a -
b}.pop(nums.length);
but I have to be honest. I need to know WHY that works - using
.apply(Math,nums). If I just did this:
Math.max(nums);
that would not work.
by using apply, I pass in Math as this - and nums for the array. But I
want to know the intricacies of "why" that the first works and the latter
doesn't. What magic is happening?
There is something fundamental I am not wrapping my brains around. I have
read a bunch about "call and apply", but many times some cool tricks can
be had like the one above, and I feel I am missing something deeper here.