Calvin Catechism: Fri Feb 20 Q 52 The Human Obligation of Christ

Fri Feb 20 Q 52 The Human Obligation of Christ

  (Late Posting on Friday, February 27, 2009)

 

52. You say that Christ had to become man, to fulfill the office of Saviour, as in our very person.
Yes, indeed. For we must recover in Him all that we lack in ourselves, and this cannot be done in any other way.  

 

 

When the Gospel is first announced in cryptic form in Gen. 3:15, the sort of Person for which we are looking throughout Redemptive History is described: A male-offspring of a woman, who will do battle with Evil and Evil’s offspring, who himself will suffer a wounding by Evil, but will be completely triumphant over evil. That this one must be “man” should be evident for 1) it is a man (male) who was responsible for keeping the Law in the Garden but failed to do so, and 2) it is a man (person) who must receive just punishment for man’s disobedience to the Lord. This one must not yield to Evil, as did Adam and Eve, for then he would not be able to conquer Evil. Instead, he must be completely triumphant over evil—he must be perfect in obedience, perfect in righteousness, perfect in keeping God’s Law. When this one is finally victorious, God will then rule over and through man as he did with intention in the Creation, when he both made man (“rule over”) and gave him dominion on the earth (“rule through”).

 

 

When Christ came in fulfillment of Gen. 3:15, he came as a perfect Savior. He provided justification for us because in himself we have the righteousness required to stand before the Judge Almighty. All we lack in ourselves is given to us through his atoning death and resurrection, such that not one of us can boast of anything before God. Our sin subjects us to the will of Evil so that we cannot save ourselves or recover what was lost in the Fall. Without a perfect Savior, we would be hopelessly covering ourselves in fig leaves.