Introduction⤒🔗

John Calvin preached a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments from June 7 to July 19, 1555.¹ The series used Deuteronomy 5 as the primary preaching text. In this series, two sermons focused on the fourth commandment, the first on June 20, 1555, the second on June 21, 1555. The first sermon was based on Deuteronomy 5:12-14, while the second was based on Deuteronomy 5:13-15.²

These sermons do not appear to present new material when compared with Calvin's views as expressed in his commentary on the fourth commandment.³ The sermons are also consistent with the views regarding the Sabbath that he sets forth in his Institutes.⁴ Indeed, four of the five editions of the Institutes (1536, 1539, 1543 and 1550) had been completed by the time he delivered his sermons on the Ten Commandments. Benjamin Farley summarizes the relation of the sermons to the Institutes:

The sermons popularized material that is more clearly and succinctly stated in the Institutes ... The major outline of Calvin's thought on the Decalogue had already received expression prior to the sermons ... With regard to the sermons, one can say that they develop in a popular and engaging manner what the Institutes define with clarity and brevity ... What the sermons exhibit is the compelling manner in which Calvin sought to apply what his Institutes more systematically discuss.⁵

The aim of Calvin's sermons was to confront his audience with God's Word and to apply that Word to the time in which he lived in a way that was consistent with the needs of the people of his day.⁶ Calvin preached in the midst of an historical and cultural background very different from ours. Thus, some of what he says may not be deemed particularly relevant to our situation. Nevertheless, he expounds God's truth, which itself is eternal, and thus his exposition is worthy of our consideration.

Calvin's sermons are also worth considering from a homiletic standpoint, both for an evaluation of their soundness and for our personal spiritual edification. When we look at Calvin's sermons with regard to their effectiveness in presenting "biblical theology" – "the branch of biblical study devoted to examining Scripture in the light of the overarching themes that unite all its particulars"⁷ – we note some weaknesses in his approach. In addition, examination of the sermons with regard to their clear grounding in Christ and his redemptive work reveals some deficiencies as well. However, it is not enough simply to identify these deficiencies. We should be spurred to take the positive aspects of Calvin's approach and supplement them with elements that would make preach­ing about the Sabbath more faithful to Scrip­ture and more edifying to God's people.

This essay will focus on Calvin's preaching approach to the fourth commandment in light of the inseparable aspects of an unfolding biblical theology and God's redemption in Christ, the latter of which is the focus of all of Scripture. We first will survey the method of the sermons and summarize their content. Then we will analyze them to consider whether they incorporate a full‑orbed biblical theology and sufficiently set forth a redemptive approach to preaching. Finally, we will offer suggestions for a better approach to preaching on the fourth commandment – an approach not radically different from Calvin's, but one aimed at more adequately incorporating the whole of Scripture and the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Calvin's Style and Method of Preaching←⤒🔗

Rather than structuring these sermons according to contemporary (and, I think, useful) homiletic techniques, Calvin simply expounds a passage verse by verse, with little illustration or application. His style thus comes across more like a lecture or a running commentary than what we today would call a sermon. This may be partially attributed to the fact that we are reading rather than hearing what Calvin had to say. The fact that these are translations from his original words also impacts how we "hear" the sermons. More importantly, however, his style is simply not what we are used to or might today deem best.

The flow of Calvin's sermons is at times difficult to follow, as they are not neatly structured according to an outline of successive points or sub points. He provides little introduction, but immediately moves to explanation of the passage at hand. Of course, he does not use twenty first century terms to elaborate upon what might be identified as a problem or "fallen condition focus," which is addressed by Christ's redemptive act.⁸ Nevertheless, he does identify the problem God is addressing in these passages by stating,

Men cannot properly worship God without dedicating themselves to him in such a way that they separate themselves from the world.⁹

Thus, man's need for spiritual separation from the world necessitates God's commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. He also clearly summarizes his message when he says,

The Sabbath day was a shadow under the law until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to represent that God requires men to rest from all their own works ... We must mortify our nature if we hope to be in conformity with our God.¹⁰

This is the closest thing to what we today would call the "proposition" of the sermon, that is, "the wedding of a universal truth based on the text with an application based on the universal truth."¹¹

A Summary of the Content←⤒🔗

Before evaluating Calvin's sermons from the standpoint of biblical theology, one must have a basic grasp of their content. The two sermons are essentially a long unit that has been divided into two parts. There is little distinction between them except for a brief recapitulation of the first sermon in the introduction to the second.¹²

The first sermon sets forth a theological framework for the Sabbath and has two basic emphases. First, the fourth commandment requires us to rest. This resting is related to our worship of God, which is integral to the Sabbath commandment as Calvin expounds it:¹³ "Men cannot purely honor Him without renouncing themselves, or being separated from the pollutions of the world and of their own flesh."¹⁴ He adds, "We cannot worship Him in purity unless we separate ourselves from opposing pollutions, or until what belongs to our nature is abolished."¹⁵

According to Calvin, the requirement of the fourth commandment regarding resting from work aids us in worshipping God in purity. Calvin explains this resting not as rest from physical labor, but as rest from our sinful works.

He states, 'If we continue to hurry about and insist on being busybodies, engaging in what seems best to us, we shall certainly sever the tie between God and ourselves, separate ourselves from Him, and alienate ourselves from Him as far as possible... There is no serving God until we begin at this point: to empty ourselves of our thoughts and affections.'¹⁶

This "resting" is something that must continue throughout this life. He notes that "even when we have struggled valiantly against the affections of our flesh and our evil thoughts, there will always be some residue until we are fully joined to God and He has gathered us into His heavenly kingdom."¹⁷

Calvin connects God's example of resting with our Sabbath resting. He notes: "Everything, then, that is said about God desisting from His works also applies to us, for we must so conduct ourselves as to cease doing whatever seems good to us and what our nature craves,"¹⁸ Though we are to follow the pattern of God's rest, his rest and our rest, as Calvin sets them forth, are not the same. God had no sin from which to rest, but simply rested from his work of creating. Man, however, according to Calvin, is to rest from his sin that he might serve God.

The second major emphasis of Calvin's first sermon is that the Sabbath was needed to provide order in the lives of God's people and for them to assemble together before God. While the "shadowy" aspects of the commandment have passed away, the order it enjoins still applies today. Calvin says:

The Sabbath day was a civil order for training the faithful in the service of God.., that the people might assemble themselves to hear the doctrine of the law preached, to participate in the sacrifices, to invoke the name of God.... I affirm what Paul says in the Letter to the Colossians: that nevertheless what is said of this order still applies and has its usage. And what is this order? It is to assemble ourselves in the name of God.¹⁹

Calvin then notes that while we should in fact always assemble ourselves in the name of God, "because of our weakness, even because of our laziness, it is necessary for one day to be chosen."²⁰ As stated earlier, Calvin's definition of "resting" from works is primarily in reference to sinful works of our flesh. Yet, note the statements in his call to go beyond mere physical resting on Sunday:

If we turn Sunday into a day for living it up, for our sport and pleasure, indeed how will God he honored in that? Is it not a mockery and even a profanation of His name? But when shops are closed on Sunday, when people do not travel in the usual way, its purpose is to provide more leisure and liberty for attending to what God commands us that - we might be taught by His Word, gather in order to confess our faith, to invoke His name, to participate in the use of the sacraments. This is the end for which this order must serve us ... This day has been instituted that we might withdraw from all earthly anxieties, from all business affairs, to the end that we might surrender everything to God. Moreover, let us realize that it is not only for coming to the sermon that the day of Sunday is instituted, but in order that we might devote all the rest of time to praising God.²¹

In his second sermon, Calvin does not deal as much with the theology of the fourth commandment as with some of the specific instructions God incorporates into the com­mandment. After reviewing the material expounded in his previous sermon, Calvin turns his attention to Deuteronomy 5:13-­15. Here, he focuses upon three areas of the commandment: God's call to work six days then rest, his call to grant rest to animals and his call to grant rest to other human beings. These topics serve as the basic outline for the sermon.

Calvin first addresses God's call to work six days and rest one day. He affirms that "this must not be interpreted to mean that God commands us to work. Truly, we are (already) born to that (end)."²² Rather than a command to work, it is a reminder that God already graciously gives us six days to labor, so that we might not grudgingly give him one day in seven:

It's as if He were saying: 'Is it asking too much of you to choose one day which can be fully reserved for My service in order that you might do nothing else in it but read and practice My law, or at least hear the doctrine which can be preached to you, or come to the church?... Is it not fitting that you should do that, seeing that you have six entire free days for taking care of your needs and business affairs?' Thus we now see that this statement about working six days was not given as a commandment, but it is rather a permission which God gives in order to reproach men for their ingratitude, unless, as He has indicated, they observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy.²³

Calvin then turns his attention to God's call to his people to provide rest even to animals on the Sabbath day. He affirms the Sabbath as a sign that God has separated his people from the world and asks, rhetorically, why this sign is extended to animals. He answers by affirming that the Sabbath instructions regarding animals were not given by God for the sake of animals, but "in order that men might have a reminder before their eyes in order to be that much more moved."²⁴

The animals were to serve as a visible reminder of the obligation of God's people to rest and to keep the Sabbath day holy. Calvin says,

When God willed for cattle and asses to be rested on the seventh day, it wasn't because He had made them participants in that spiritual rest which we discussed earlier, but it was in order that the Jews, seeing their stables closed, might understand. And what were they to understand? That God sets in our midst before our eyes even dumb animals as a sign and visible sacrament.²⁵

Thus, the responsibility toward animals reminds God's people of their greater responsibility to God in Sabbath keeping.

Calvin then expounds upon God's call to provide rest to servants as well as to strangers within the land. Calvin does not approach this instruction from the standpoint of refraining from causing others to work.²⁶ He says that while it may appear that God gave this instruction for the sake of charity (i.e., since the people themselves were slaves in a strange land, they should have compassion on others), this is not the case. Calvin reasons that since this fourth commandment is in the first table of the law, the duties of which relate particularly to God, "it follows that it belongs to the spiritual service of God and that it is pointedly not a question about the charity which we owe our neighbors,"²⁷ What is the purpose of this instruction, according to Calvin? Namely, that the people might be reminded that they are the Lord's and that they might rest entirely from their affections and desires.²⁸

While God's people could use the day to obtain material gain through the work of servants and strangers, they instead are to seek his kingdom.²⁹ Here, Calvin appears to blur the distinction between sinful and non-sinful works on the Sabbath. His earlier emphasis (in the first sermon) is upon sinful works. In this sermon, he seems to be dealing with works related to commerce, which might not be sinful in themselves. In any case, Calvin here returns to the theme of being spiritually separated for the Lord himself, a theme that recurs often in his exposition of the fourth commandment.

Additionally, Calvin explains that not allowing foreigners to work on the Sabbath served as a safeguard for God's people.

He writes, 'If one had given the foreigners the liberty to work in the midst of the Jewish people, they might have been induced to corruption; each would have exempted himself and given himself the license to violate the Sabbath day and not keep it.'³⁰

Calvin does not provide a great deal of specific application – this simply is not part of his basic homiletic style. Occasionally he does give exhortations, such as his call to keep the Sabbath day by "disbelieving what seems good to us, for of necessity we must rest. And how rest? By abiding in such a way that our thoughts do not flutter about or invent first one thing and then another."³¹ On the whole, however, his sermon method is more didactic than hortatory.

Evaluation of Calvin's Sermons←⤒🔗

Problems in his Approach←↰⤒🔗

As one evaluates Calvin's Sabbath sermons from a biblical-theological perspective, several deficiencies become apparent. First, he is unclear as to how the Sabbath commandment is in effect today. He states that it was a "shadow" and affirms that "the obscurity (of the law) has been abolished with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Nevertheless, "the law is not altogether abolished, as it does not fail to retain the substance and truth for us."³² He affirms that "we are no longer subject to this ancient servitude of observing the Sabbath day," yet also holds that "the crucial thing is for us to come to the substance – which means that we must serve God well; we must learn to empty ourselves of all our will, of all our thoughts and affections."³³

Thus, he seems, on the one hand, to say that the Sabbath has been fulfilled in Christ. Yet, on the other hand, he sets forth Sabbath-related truths about worship and mortification that are clearly, in his view, still in force. He contrasts the "figure" and the "truth" of the Sabbath,³⁴ but is at times vague as to what has actually passed away from the requirement of the fourth commandment and what remains. The aspects of "obscurity" that have passed away may have been very clear in Calvin's own mind, but he does not convey that thought effectively in these sermons.

Calvin seems to affirm a degree of biblical continuity with regard to Sabbath keeping. In some of his exhortations related to keeping the fourth commandment, he differs little from what might be affirmed and preached by a strict sabbatarian in the church today.³⁵ On the other hand, though his views are not interpreted or presented accurately in every case,³⁶ some of his material could easily be used by antisabbatarians seeking to support their views by appealing to a key figure in the history of the church.

Calvin is also deficient in his explanation of how the Sabbath is to be spent by the believer today. His approach does not appear to be derived from a view that the Sabbath, as an institution of God, requires particular behavior. Nor does he emphasize that God's redemptive love requires a certain approach to Sunday. Rather, according to Calvin, it is our need for an ordered life that requires us to approach Sunday in a distinctive manner. Gathering as God's people on a particular day is simply necessary because of man's weakness, and even the choice of day can be left to the liberty of the Christian.³⁷ Don Robertson's excellent summary of the Christian Sabbath notes that Calvin's reason for observing the Sabbath Day – order in the church – "diminishes the significance of its place in the Ten Commandments."³⁸ Calvin seems at times to approach the Sabbath from the perspective of pragmatism rather than from that of biblical theology.

In addition, as noted above, Calvin explains God's call to provide rest to servants as a spiritual safeguard for his people. However, in Deuteronomy 5:15, God clearly is reminding his people to remember their own redemption from Egypt as they observe the Sabbath. Regarding this passage, O. Palmer Robertson points out that "the reason for Sabbath observance relates not only to creation, but to redemption. Because God gave rest by redemption, Israel must observe the Sabbath."³⁹ John Murray echoes this thought, noting that "the Sabbath commandment derives its sanction not only from God's rest at creation but also from redemption out of Egypt's bondage."⁴⁰ The Israelites were slaves, but God gave them rest. Thus, they are to rest and to provide rest to others. Calvin focuses on appropriate Sabbath behavior, not on the redemption that is the foundation and incentive for that behavior.

This lack of redemptive focus is a key problem with Calvin's approach in these sermons. He does not root our obedience to the fourth commandment adequately in the context of God's redemption and grace. This is not to say that Calvin did not have a grasp of God's grace or that it is not mentioned in his sermons. He reminds us of our inability to keep the law of God in our own strength.⁴¹ He also points us to the grace of God as he asks how resting from our sin can be accomplished.

It isn't done through our industry, but we have acquired this right through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us in order to blot out our sins that they might no longer be imputed against us. Because of His Holy Spirit we can renounce the world and even ourselves to the extent that our carnal affections no longer dominate us. And although we are full of rebellion, nevertheless the Spirit of God will rule over them and repress them and hold them in check.⁴²

Though Calvin clearly affirms that we need the help of God in keeping his commandments, he does not emphasize the overall context of the redemption of God and the under girding relationship of God with his people – elements that provide the reasons and foundation for our obedience. He simply says, "Here is the command, and God will help us keep it."

Perhaps the greatest weakness in Calvin's approach to the Sabbath is that he does not address it in the framework of the totality of God's redemptive purpose in Scripture. He isolates the Sabbath in particular epochs of redemptive history – the period of time following the redemption of the Israelites and the period of time following the first advent of Christ – and attaches somewhat decreased relevance to the Sabbath now that Christ has come. However, as John Murray points out:

The redemption from Egypt cannot be properly viewed except as the anticipation of the greater redemption wrought in the fullness of time. Hence, if redemption from Egypt accorded sanction to the Sabbath institution and provided reason for its observance, the same must apply to the greater redemption ... secured by the death and resurrection of Christ. In other words, it is the fullness and richness of the New Covenant that accord to the Sabbath ordinance increased relevance, sanction and blessing⁴³ (emphasis added).

Calvin's failure to preach about the Sabbath in the context of the whole of redemptive history causes him to emphasize discontinuity in what God expects of his people, rather than the continuity of God's redemptive purpose. Calvin approaches the Sabbath only in the context of man's fallenness. He does not look back and see the connection of the fourth commandment to God's institution of the Sabbath at Creation. Nor does he deal with Christ's statements about the purpose of the Sabbath, his affirmation of lordship over the Sabbath (Mk 2:27-28) or his resurrection as the reason for celebrating the Sabbath on the first day of the week.

This failure to consider the Sabbath within the overarching redemptive story leads Calvin to call for specific behavior without giving the redemptive context for that behavior. Murray notes that "redemption has a past, a present and a future ... in retrospect (the Sabbath) is the memorial of our Lord's resurrection. In the present, with resurrection joy it fulfills its beneficent design by the lordship of the Son of Man. As prospect it is the promise of the inheritance of the saints."⁴⁴ Though Calvin sees the parallel to the redemption of the Israelites in our redemption in Christ,⁴⁵ to a great degree he neglects the "past" and "future" aspects of redemption in these sermons.

Primary Causes of the Problems in Calvin's Sermons←↰⤒🔗

The problems in Calvin's approach stem from two primary causes. One is historical in nature, while the other is theological. The historical context in which Calvin preached influenced his sermons, particularly those related to the Decalogue. Benjamin W. Farley explains the context of Calvin's sermons on the Sabbath and the Decalogue:

In the early months of 1555, three developments took place which were integral to Calvin's Decalogue sermons. The first and perhaps the most important was the collapse of the so-called 'Libertine' party, a political faction which had opposed Calvin and the unfolding reformation of the Genevan Republic ... The two other developments that took place in 1555 which also deserve mention: the ratification of the Consistory's right to excommunicate and Bern's renewal of political-theological difference between herself and Geneva. Both developments preceded Calvin's sermons and received attention in his correspondence during the series.⁴⁶

The downfall of Calvin's libertine opponents was part of a conflict that Farley says,

can be sensed in almost every passage of the Decalogue sermons. Throughout the series Calvin never tired of stressing the importance of a God-fearing and well-ordered state, supported by a responsible and decent citizenry, led by a pious and accountable magistracy.⁴⁷

The Consistory was a group of twelve elders and the ministers in Geneva who had disciplinary powers of both a spiritual and political nature. The ratification of the rights of the Consistory "to function as a responsible and independent ecclesiastical board supplied inestimable psychological force to Calvin's series. Certainly the congregation that heard these sermons would not have failed to sense the justice and relevance for Calvin's message as opposed to the maelstrom through which they had all passed."⁴⁸

Calvin's sermons reflect the social order of the time and place in which he lived and ministered. This period in Geneva was not a time of great individual liberty, but a time well-suited to people committed to the things of Scripture. Understanding reasons for obeying the Scriptures was perhaps not as important as simply submitting to the Scriptures and to God-ordained authority. Fancy quotes the question and answer of Daniel Buscarlet: "Was it good to live in Geneva? Yes, if you loved the Bible, wanted to battle for Christ's stead, and considered your first occupation 'the honor of God.' It is not too far afield to state that this is ultimately what the Decalogue sermons are all about."⁴⁹ The full extent to which the historical context shaped Calvin's sermons on the Sabbath is unknown. Nevertheless, that context undoubtedly affected his approach to preaching on the Decalogue as a whole, and the fourth commandment in particular.  People were simply to obey, and he called them to do so.

The greater cause of the problems in Calvin's approach, however, is that he does not deal with the Sabbath from the standpoint of an overarching, unfolding biblical theology. Richard Gaffin holds that the greatest deficiency in Calvin's approach to the Sabbath is "his failure to reckon with the Sabbath institution as a creation ordinance. In fact, it is proper to say that any other deficiencies that are present in his view are due to this fundamental weakness."⁵⁰ Calvin sees the Sabbath only in light of the fall. No connection is made with God's purpose in building the Sabbath into the very structure of the universe at Creation. Thus, the Sabbath is not addressed in the sermons as positively as it could be, and Calvin neglects many aspects of God's intended blessings with regard to the Sabbath.

Calvin's lack of a biblical-theological approach also causes him to omit reference to Christ's lordship over the Sabbath and his affirmation of the blessing of the Sabbath (Mk 2:27). If, as seems to be the case, Christ asserted his lordship over the Sabbath not merely in order to do away with it, but to rule over it according to God's intended purpose at Creation, then Calvin misses a key aspect of its ongoing relevance in believers' lives. In this case, he also fails to present a biblical theme in a sufficiently Christ-centered way.

Finally, Calvin's neglect of a full, biblical-theological approach prevents him from pointing us adequately to the future heavenly rest which we will enjoy. In heaven, God's purposes for us will reach fruition. We will know in fullness that rest that was instituted at Creation, pictured by the redemption of the Israelites, enjoined by the fourth commandment and purchased for us by Christ. A fuller biblical theology of the Sabbath in these sermons would provide a basis for significant encouragement to the believer.

The Contributions a Redemptive Approach would make←↰⤒🔗

How would redemptive, biblical-theological preaching on the Sabbath correct some of the problems inherent in Calvin's approach in these sermons? First, it would address the issue of continuity and discontinuity with regard to the Sabbath. As noted earlier, Calvin is unclear to what extent the Sabbath is a shadow that has passed away and to what extent its obligations continue today. Approaching the issue from the standpoint of the Bible's unfolding theology would provide a more enlightened perspective.

Obviously, radical continuity with regard to the Sabbath does not exist. For example, judicial penalties for disobedience expired with Old Covenant Israel, and specific case laws regarding Sabbath observance are not binding upon the church or state in every detail. Neither does the Bible present a radical discontinuity regarding Sabbath observance (where observing the Sabbath could even be an indication that one does not recognize one's freedom in a Christ, who, some might hold, abrogated the Sabbath). Rather, we need to see the Sabbath from the following vantage points: its institution at Creation, its reflection of God's rest and the spiritual rest he has given his people, its benefit for man, Christ's lordship over it and the ultimate rest we anticipate as we observe it. Approaching the fourth commandment as its subject matter unfolds throughout Scripture would help the preacher achieve proper balance in regard to continuity and discontinuity. It also would place the Sabbath in its proper context biblically and theologically.

An approach that related the fourth commandment more fully to God's redeeming work in Christ would foster hope in God's people amid their fallenness and disobedience. Calvin focuses primarily upon obligation. However, this commandment shows us our insufficiency in attaining spiritual and eternal rest. In preaching, one must convey to the listeners the truth that God, in grace, provides what we cannot provide for ourselves. A biblical-theological approach in preaching would be a reminder of this truth.

From a homiletic standpoint, a redemptive approach to the fourth commandment would also be a safeguard against a merely moralistic understanding of it. An approach that touches upon Christ's obeying the law for us and taking the penalty for our disobedience would place the command and our obedience to it in proper context in our lives as believers. The law would be presented clearly as a standard for obedience (not for justification) and as something that drives us to Christ and his finished work. This is not to imply that Calvin presents law keeping as a means of justification, but a stronger and more consistent emphasis on the work of Christ in regard to God's commandment is essential when preaching the law, for "only this message can give assurance that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."⁵¹ Finally, a redemptive approach in preaching about the Sabbath would affirm that this commandment is given to a redeemed people and provide a sound basis and right motivation for obedience.

A More Profitable Approach←↰⤒🔗

What would be a more profitable approach for preaching on the fourth commandment? Four primary suggestions come to mind. First, the commandment needs to be explained in light of its immediate context in the Decalogue. O. Palmer Robertson points out that "because of its position in the substance of the Ten Commandments the weekly Sabbath retains its binding character. The Christian is obligated to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, to refrain from work, and to restrain himself from employing others. The 'ten words' derive their binding power from the fact that they reflect the nature of God Himself."⁵² Reminding those to whom we preach of this special, immediate context would help them to see continuity in the responsibilities of the Sabbath and to see its ongoing significance.

Second, the fourth commandment must he placed in the overall context of Scripture. Edmund Clowney reminds us that "the Bible has a story line. It traces an unfolding drama. The story follows the history of Israel, but it does not begin there."⁵³ Calvin does not limit the topic of the Sabbath to the experience of the Israelites, but his sermon would benefit from consideration of the "bigger story" of the Bible. As one preaching expert writes:

A biblical text must be interpreted in the context of the whole Bible ... Later revelation often builds on and fills out the earlier. This revelation does not make the earlier revelation obsolete, for it is the foundation of later revelation and, as part of the canon, remains authoritative for the church. It does mean, however, that on the one hand the earlier (Old Testament) revelation must be compared with later (New Testament) revelation for its fuller sense and possibly its divergence from later revelation. On the other hand, New Testament revelation can be properly understood only against the background of the Old Testament revelation.⁵⁴

This type of preaching approach would allow people to see the Sabbath in its full biblical context.

Third, one needs to place the fourth commandment in the framework of eternity. Willem VanGemeren says that while Jesus is the focus of Scripture, "we cannot say that the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New. Nor did Jesus completely fulfill the Old. In a real sense the Scriptures have an eschatological focus, as Old and New together point forward to the era of consummation, when all things will he made new. Jesus the Messiah is thus the hope of saints, both before and after His first coming."⁵⁵VanGemeren's comments should be understood in a relative sense. Certainly there is a degree of fulfillment of Old Covenant shadows in the realities of the New Covenant even in this present age. However, he is right in noting that an ultimate fulfillment of those things awaits us in the age to come. This eschatological perspective would be a helpful addition to Calvin's sermons on the Sabbath and would help one see the ongoing relevance of the Sabbath today.

Fourth, the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy must be related clearly to Jesus and his redemption. Graeme Goldsworthy urges us to ask, "How does this passage of Scripture, and consequently my sermon, testify to Christ?"⁵⁶ This is because Jesus himself claims to be the subject of all of Scripture (Lk 24:27, 44-45) and provides coherence to the overall structure of biblical revelation.⁵⁷ Calvin does not divorce his preaching texts from Jesus; indeed, as noted earlier he sees Jesus' coming as the fulfillment of and, to some degree, the abolition of the Sabbath. Nevertheless, his approach would be more sound if it reflected the fact that "Jesus is the goal and fulfillment of the whole Old Testament and, as the embodiment of the truth of God, He is the interpretive key to the Bible."⁵⁸ While Calvin might affirm this truth, these sermons do not reflect it clearly. Placing the fourth commandment more fully in the context of Christ's redemptive work not only allows one to maintain a biblical structure, but also provides the biblical motivation and power for carrying out the duties of the commandment.

Thus, the best approach to preaching the fourth commandment would be to place the commandment in the context of the whole of Scripture, as well as in its immediate context in the Decalogue, thereby emphasizing our need of physical and spiritual rest. It would also highlight our tendency, in our fallen condition, to fail to rest physically and our tendency neither to take time to reflect upon God's work in creation and in redemption, nor to provide adequate time for public and private worship of God. Keeping the fourth commandment enables us to enjoy freedom from enslavement to work, to reflect God's creation pattern of working and resting, to reflect upon the spiritual rest he has granted in Christ, to celebrate Christ's resurrection, to anticipate that eternal rest he has provided and to focus on our worship of him.

Clowney summarizes well in writing,

The Sabbath commandment is made for man, but especially for the Son of Man, who is the Lord of the Sabbath and transforms it into the Lord's Day by His resurrection. The rest that the Sabbath represents is the final rest that Christ provides (Hebrews 4:9-11).⁵⁹

God's people should be called to submit to Jesus' gracious lordship over the Sabbath. Doing this frees us from man-made rules but maintains the obligation and blessing of proper, biblical Sabbath keeping. Emphasis should be placed on God's relationship with us and on the resources he extends to us. These provide the ability to keep the Sabbath holy and thus allow us to glorify and enjoy him.

While the text of the fourth commandment would be our preaching focus, the commandment should be addressed through the broader scope of Scripture as given by God to man; affirmed in the Decalogue; redeemed by Christ to be kept for him, in his power, as his people, according to his pattern, even as we anticipate our ultimate rest in the One who has kept the law perfectly for us and taken upon himself our disobedience to the law and the curse for that disobedience.

Conclusion←↰⤒🔗

Much of Calvin's sermon material related to the fourth commandment is true to Scripture and is quite edifying. The specific weaknesses of his sermons do not render them ineffective. Rather, they could best be described as incomplete. The fact that his methods are different from what we perhaps would deem most effective in our day should not keep us from learning from one of God's great servants. In addition, the fact that some theological and redemptive elements are lacking in his approach should not cause us to reject Calvin's sermons in their entirety. Rather, this should spur us to integrate the positive elements of his sermons with the contributions of biblical theology and a Christ-centered, redemptive model. Such an approach to preaching in general, and to the fourth commandment in particular, will enable God's people to exalt the Lord of the Sabbath and to grow in the grace and knowledge of him who has given them eternal rest.