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.

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