21. That the child might be circumcised As to circumcision in general, the reader may consult the Book of Genesis, (Genesis 17:10.) At present, it will be sufficient to state briefly what applies to the person of Christ. God appointed that his Son should be circumcised, in order to subject him to the law; for circumcision was a solemn rite, by which the Jews
were initiated into the observance of the law. (171) Paul explains the design, (172) when he says, that Christ was
“made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,” (Galatians 4:4.)
By undergoing circumcision, Christ acknowledged himself to be the slave (173) of the law, that he might procure our freedom. And in this way not only was the bondage (174) of the law abolished by him, but the shadow of the ceremony was applied to his own body, that it might shortly afterwards come to an end. For though the abrogation of it depends on the death and resurrection of Christ, yet it was a sort of prelude to it, that the Son of God submitted to be circumcised.
His name was called JESUS. This passage shows, that it was a general custom among the Jews to give names to their children on the day that they were circumcised, just as we now do at baptism. Two things are here mentioned by the Evangelist. First, the name Jesus was not given to the Son of God accidentally, or by the will of men, but was the name which the angel had brought from heaven. Secondly, Joseph and Mary obeyed the command of God. The agreement between our faith and the word of God lies in this, that he speaks first, and we follow, so that our faith answers to his promises. Above all, the order of preaching the word is held up by Luke for our commendation. Salvation through the grace of Christ, he tells us, had been promised by God through the angel, and was proclaimed by the voice of men.
(171) “ Par lequel les Juifs protestoyent de se soumettre a l'observation de la Loy;” — “by which the Jews solemnly declared that they would submit to the observance of the Law.”
(172) “ Finem.” — “ La fin ou le but de ceste soumission de Jesus Christ;” —”the end or design of this submission of Jesus Christ.”
(173) “ Servum.”—This might have been supposed to be equivalent to ministrum , servant, had not the latter clause of the sentence expressly contrasted freedom with the condition of a slave. But Calvin settles the point by rendering it serf, slave; by which he evidently means “complete and degrading subjection.” Paul frequently speaks of the state of the Church under the law as bondage, (Galatians 4:3,) and a yoke of bondage, (Galatians 5:1.) — Ed.
(174) See passages referred to in the preceding note, in which the term bondage is applied by an inspired writer to the ceremonial law — Ed.