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John Calvin
John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”
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John Calvin preaches on the profound love of Christ, emphasizing that there is no greater love than laying down one's life for friends. He highlights how Christ's sacrifice serves as both a confirmation of our salvation and an example for us to love one another. Calvin points out that God's decision to offer His Son as a sacrifice demonstrates the depth of His care for our salvation, urging believers to be moved by the incomparable sweetness of Divine love.
Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That a Man Lay Down His Life
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. —John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this." Christ sometimes proclaims the greatness of his love to us, that he may more fully confirm our confidence in our salvation; but now he proceeds further, in order to inflame us by his example, to love the brethren. Yet he joins both together; for he means that we should taste by faith how inestimably delightful his goodness is, and next he allures us in this way to cultivate brotherly love. Thus Paul writes, "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor" (Eph. 5:2). God might have redeemed us by a single word, or by a mere act of his will, if he had not thought it better to do otherwise for our own benefit, that, by not sparing his own well-beloved Son, he might testify in his person how much he cares for our salvation. But now our hearts, if they are not softened by the inestimable sweetness of Divine love, must be harder than stone or iron. —Commentaries
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John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”