Crucified and Risen, Sermons on Matthew 26-28, by John Calvin, published by the Banner of Truth Trust, hardback, 199 pages, £13.00, may be obtained from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
The ten sermons in this book have been taken from a larger volume that was first translated into English by Thomas Stocker in 1581. The title of the first translation was Divers Sermons of Master John Calvin concerning the Divinity, Humanity, and Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ: as also touching His Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, together with the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon His Apostles. The book consisted of a lengthy exegetical piece on John 1:1-5 and 26 sermons, seven of which were on Isaiah 52-53. The remaining 19 comprised one sermon on the nativity (Lk 2:1-14), nine on the Saviour’s death and resurrection (Mt 26-28), four on the ascension (Acts 1:1-11), four on the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4,13-24) and one on the second coming (2 Th 1:6-10).
The entire volume, with the exception of the seven sermons on Isaiah 52-53, was retranslated by Leroy Nixon and published by Eerdmans in 1950 under the title The Deity of Christ and other Sermons. The Nixon translation was reprinted in 1997 by Old Paths Publications with a foreword by Richard C. Gamble. The volume under review comprises of the nine sermons on Matthew 26-28 and the fourth sermon on the ascension. They have been newly translated from the French edition of 1558 by Robert White. This is the ninth volume of Calvin translated by Dr White and published by the Banner of Truth Trust; he taught French Studies at the University of Sydney.
The nine sermons, which date from 1557 to 1558, are an exposition with practical application, of Matthew 26:36-28:10. The first five sermons cover the solemn events of Gethsemane, the betrayal, arrest and prosecution of the Saviour, Peter’s denial and Judas taking his own life, along with the multitude’s choice of Barabbas. The last four deal with the Saviour being numbered with the transgressors, His accomplishing redemption by His atoning death on Calvary, and His resurrection. Finally there is the additional sermon, on Acts 1:9-11, dealing with the ascension. Calvin’s focus in these sermons is not so much on the events themselves as on their significance and on what he calls the fruit and efficacy of Christ’s redemptive work.
To give an insight into the value of these sermons here are three excerpts. The first is the beginning of the first sermon on Matthew 26:36-40: “When it is a question of our salvation, Scripture sets three objectives before us. The first is that we should know the inestimable love that God has for us, so that we may glorify Him as He deserves. Next, that we should come to hate our sins, as is only proper, and should rightly feel such shame that we humble ourselves before the majesty of our God. Third, that we should place such value on our salvation that we are led to forsake this world and all that belongs to this fleeting life, and are drawn instead to that inheritance which has been so dearly won for us. It is to this that we should turn our eyes and apply our minds when we are told the Son of God redeemed us from everlasting death and obtained for us eternal life” (pp 1-2).
The second is from the sermon on Matthew 27:45-54 dealing with the Saviour’s death and what it achieved: “When, therefore, we think of the fruit of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, we should be thoroughly humbled, finding in ourselves nothing but poverty and shame, in order that God may pour upon us the treasures of His mercy, His only motive being that we have plumbed the depths of misery. Our faith should thus be all the stronger when we see this [dying] thief, a complete outcast, being suddenly called by God and allowed to profit from the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for the human race. In no way do we see God stretching out His hand to those who appeared deserving, who had some merit in themselves, who excelled others or were generally esteemed by men. God’s goodness shines most brightly when He draws poor condemned souls from the depths of hell, and shows mercy to those cut off from all hope of life.
“This is what should point the way to salvation for us, because hypocrites, although confessing they owe something to God’s grace, shut the door by their arrogance. They are so puffed up with pride that they will never yield to Jesus Christ. So let us be certain, first and foremost, that our Lord Jesus Christ calls to Himself poor sinners who feel only shame in themselves, and that His arms are outstretched to welcome them. If we think otherwise, we will never have it in our hearts to come to Him. The salvation He has won is meant for the most wretched of men, provided they see themselves as such, are humbled, cast down and conscious of their guilt before God. It is this that gives us assurance, this that opens the way to our sharing in the righteousness offered to us here, and by which we obtain grace and favour in God’s sight” (pp 108-109).
The third excerpt is from the sermon on Matthew 27:55-60 and flows from the steadfast example of the few women who stood by the cross and of the witness of Joseph of Arimathea when others had fled for fear. Robert White in a footnote gives the context to Calvin’s reference to the similar steadfast witness of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2:25,38, by pointing out the plight of the Jews in the inter-testamental period. The temple was profaned, Sabbath observance and sacrifices were suspended, circumcision prohibited and copies of the law destroyed, yet they stood steadfast for the truth. Here is Calvin’s application of the text and his words of encouragement in the difficult days of the Reformation when the Lord’s people were again suffering great persecution:
“And what became of David’s house? It was completely dismembered and everything went from bad to worse. So it was no wonder that, among a people so brutalized, so much given to its wants and ambitions, there should have been so few who kept to true religion and who did not lose heart. Those who suffered patiently and who were firm in the faith were a small and scattered remnant. This is what was said about Simeon and Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:25,38). It was said also about Joseph of Arimathea. Well then, among so great a multitude, among the Jews in so populous a land, the Holy Spirit points to four or five as if to an exception, testifying that these were looking for God’s kingdom.
“From this we learn that, when all is hopeless and confused, we must keep our gaze fixed on God, and because His truth is infallible and unchangeable, let us remain steadfast to the very end as we overcome all the shocks, trials and perplexities of this world. Although we may groan, let us continually look to where our Lord calls and invites us. Let us wait patiently for His kingdom to be established among us, and all the while let it suffice that we have the pledge given to us by His Holy Spirit, by which He confirms that He has freely adopted us. So when God shows us that He counts us as His children, when this is impressed on our hearts by His Holy Spirit, and when we have the message of the gospel daily sounding and echoing in our ears, let us be strong in the faith and let us not faint, though things may so bewilder us that we can imagine none worse. That in short is the lesson here” (pp 130-131).
The English version of the Scriptures used in the volume is not detailed. It may well be White’s own translation of the French. This, however, regrettably results in God the Father being addressed as “you” and “your” on a number of occasions (for example, on pp 112,170-172).
The great Genevan Reformer’s sermons need no recommendation from this reviewer. There is much rich material in this volume, which we heartily commend to our readers.
Roy Middleton