John Calvin Commentary Luke 2:22

"And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord" — Luke 2:22 (ASV)

And after that the days were fulfilled. On the fortieth day after the birth (Leviticus 12:2, 4), the rite of purification needed to be performed. But Mary and Joseph came to Jerusalem for another reason: to present Christ to the Lord, because He was the first-born. Let us now speak first of the purification. Luke makes it apply both to Mary and to Christ, for the pronoun αὐτῶν, of them, can have no reference whatever to Joseph.

But it should not seem strange that Christ, who was to be made a curse for us on the cross, (Galatians 3:13), should, for our benefit, take upon Himself our uncleanness with respect to legal guilt, though He was without blemish and without spot, (1 Peter 1:19). It should not, I say, seem strange if the fountain of purity, in order to wash away our stains, chose to be considered unclean.¹⁹¹

It is a mistake to imagine that this law of purification was merely political, and that the woman was unclean in the presence of her husband, not in the presence of God. On the contrary, it placed before the eyes of the Jews both the corruption of their nature and the remedy of divine grace.

This law is in itself abundantly sufficient to prove original sin, while it contains a striking proof of the grace of God. For there could not be a clearer demonstration of the curse pronounced on mankind than when the Lord declared that the child comes from its mother unclean and polluted, and that the mother herself is consequently defiled by childbearing. Certainly, if man were not born a sinner, if he were not by nature a child of wrath, (Ephesians 2:3), if some taint of sin did not dwell in him, he would have no need of purification. Hence it follows that all are corrupted in Adam, for the mouth of the Lord charges all with pollution.

It is in perfect consistency with this that the Jews are spoken of in other passages as holy branches of a holy root, (Romans 11:16); for this benefit did not properly belong to their own persons. They had been set apart, by the privilege of adoption, as an elect people; but the corruption that they had by inheritance from Adam was first in the order of time.¹⁹²

We must, therefore, distinguish between the first nature and that special kindness through a covenant by which God delivers His own people from the curse that had been pronounced on all. And the design of legal purification was to inform the Jews that the pollutions that they brought with them into the world at their birth are washed away by the grace of God.

Hence, too, we ought to learn how dreadful is the contagion of sin, which defiles, in some measure, the lawful order of nature. I do acknowledge that childbearing is not unclean, and that what would otherwise be lust changes its character through the sacredness of the marriage relation. But still the fountain of sin is so deep and abundant that its constant overflowings stain what would otherwise be pure.

¹⁹¹ “Si celuy qui est la fontaine de toute purete, a voulu estre tenu pour immonde et souille, afin de laver toutes nos ordures.” — “If he, who is the fountain of all purity, determined to be reckoned unclean and defiled in order to wash away our pollutions.”.” — “If he, who is the fountain of all purity, determined to be reckoned unclean and defiled in order to wash away our pollutions.”

¹⁹² “La corruption hereditaire procedante d'Adam precedoit un tel bien, et estoit plus ancienne.” — “The hereditary corruption proceeding from Adam preceded such a benefit, and was more ancient.”.” — “The hereditary corruption proceeding from Adam preceded such a benefit, and was more ancient.”