Calvin on Prayer -- Christ Our Mediator Establishes Intercessory Prayer

19. Christ is the only mediator, even for the mutual intercession of believers

Calvin reminds us of a point he made in the previous section, that turning away from Jesus as our mediator is folly. This how the Lord has constituted our relationship to himself – “through the Son.” Apart from Christ, there is no access to God.

Now, since he is the only way, and the one access, by which it is granted us to come to God [cf. John 14:6], to those who turn aside from this way and forsake this access, no way and no access to God remain; nothing is left in his throne but wrath, judgment, and terror. Moreover, since the Father has sealed him [cf. John 6:27] as our Head [Matt. 2:6] and Leader [1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18], those who in any way turn aside or incline away from him are trying their level best to destroy and disfigure the mark imprinted by God. Thus Christ is constituted the only Mediator, by whose intercession the Father is for us rendered gracious and easily entreated.

Furthermore, Calvin adds since God has opened the way to the Father (through the mediation of Christ) this also opens the way for us to pray for each other–intercession for others being one of the great blessings of prayer. This is, in part, the reason why confessional Protestants place such stress upon the necessity and benefits of the pastoral prayer during the Lord’s Day worship service. The saints gather to receive the preached word and the sacraments, and to pray for one another.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding, the saints still retain their intercessions, whereby they commend one another’s salvation to God. The apostle mentions these [1 Tim. 2:1], but all depend solely upon Christ’s intercession, so far are they from detracting from his in any way. For as they gush forth from the emotion of love, in which we willingly and freely embrace one another as members of one body, so also are they related to the unity of the Head. When, therefore, those intercessions are also made in Christ’s name, what else do they attest but that no one can be helped by any prayers at all save when Christ intercedes? Christ does not by his intercession hinder us from pleading for one another by prayers in the church. So, then, let it remain an established principle that we should direct all intercessions of the whole church to that sole intercession. Indeed, especially for this reason should we beware of ungratefulness, because God, pardoning our unworthiness, not only allows individuals to pray for themselves but also permits men to plead for one another. For when God has appointed advocates of his church who deserve to be duly rejected if each one prays exclusively for himself, what sheer presumption is it to abuse this generosity so as to dim Christ’s honor?

Institutes 3.20.19