Calvin, in chapters and 10 and 11 explained that the promise of God’s grace culminated in the Person of Jesus Christ. God through him, the promised seed of Abraham (the fulfillment of the covenant), would redeem creation and all his people. In chapters 12 to 14, Calvin goes on to explain who this Person is. They are wonderfully written.
Here is my summary of chapter 12.
1. God is holy, man is utterly sinful. Man, due to his sinful nature is estranged from God, outside God’s Kingdom and against the Person and righteousness of God.
2. The result. Man is at war with God, and God has righteously condemned man for his sin. But God has had mercy and in that mercy God decreed to send a mediator to bring reconciliation to God’s elect.
3. Calvin commenting on man’s need for a Mediator writes, “The situation would surely have been hopeless had the very majesty of God not descended to us, since it was not in our power to ascend to Him. Hence, it was necessary for the Son of God to become for us ‘Immanuel,’ that is, God with us [Is 7:14; Matt 1:23], and in such a way that His divinity and our human nature might by mutual connection grow together” (Pg., 464).
4. Of course this Mediator is the God – man Jesus Christ. He is both God and man; two natures in one divine Person forever. [see WCF. Ch, VIII., sect 1, 2, 3]
5. God the Son became the God-man that he might be one with us, yet without sin, in order to give us adoption. Calvin writes, “Ungrudgingly He took our nature upon Himself to impart to us what was His, and to become both Son of God and Son of man in common with us” (Pg., 465).
6. Calvin beautifully explains what was required for man’s reconciliation. Read his explanation on page 466. A must.
7. From before the foundation of the world Christ was set forth as the Redeemer, and Restorer. “Therefore, under the law, Christ’s image was set forth in sacrifices to give believers the hope that God would be gracious toward them, after having been reconciled to them through atonement made for their sins....the Mediator never was promised without blood…we infer that He was appointed by God’s eternal plan to purge the uncleanness of men; for shedding of blood is a sign of expiation [Heb 9:22; Is 53:4-6]” (Pg., 467).
8. Other Scriptures clearly indicate that Christ took upon himself humanity and became Mediator to be our sacrifice, and satisfy the Father’s justice in our stead in order to expiate and cancel our sins. [Heb 5;1; 2 Cor 5;19ff; Rom 8:3-4; 3:20ff; Titus 2;11; Lk 24:46-47; Jn 10:17; 3:14; Lk 1:79.]
9. Jesus is the last Adam (1 Cor 14:47). Why? That He might redeem the elect under the first Adam. [see WCF. Ch VIII., sect., 5 & 8]
10. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a women, born under the law, to redeem them that are under the law. That we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5 NKJV).
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