Article April 7, 1917 Issue

Resurrection Lessons

WILLIAM E. KRUPP

Two seasons in the religious life of the world, Christmas and Easter, should bring to us as Christian Scientists a greater appreciation of the privileges we enjoy. As we observe the religious activities of other Christian churches we can but give expression to thoughts of thankfulness to God for the work of Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, for the great gift bestowed upon humanity through her teaching, and for our individual awakening to an appreciation of her fearless and unwavering devotion to the cause of Truth.

At the season of the year when the world rejoices over the resurrection of the corporeal Jesus, for whose reappearing in the flesh it waits and watches, we as Christian Scientists rejoice that we have learned to see beyond the human concept and to behold the Christ-idea, the spiritual manifestation of the perfect man, leading mankind out of the bondage of materiality into "the glorious liberty of the children of God." To the enlightened thought the Christ typifies a perfect ray of light emanating from the one great source of light, in whom, St. John declared, "is no darkness at all." Beyond the earthly personality of Jesus we see the perfect concept of the spiritual man, made in the image and after the likeness of God. The Master proved his spiritual identity with the Father by casting out evil and healing the sick, not by reason of any miraculous power peculiar to himself, but in demonstration of the real man's oneness with the Father. To Christian Scientists Christ Jesus is indeed the way, not in the sense of the accepted views of scholastic theology, but because his resurrection demonstrated the continuity of life and pointed the way to salvation, to that knowledge of God which he declared to be life eternal.

The resurrection is indeed the marvel of the ages. It is a proof of man's at-one-ment with God, but not of a vicarious atonement, for we as Christian Scientists have been led to see that mankind cannot be absolved from the consequences of wrong concepts and false beliefs merely through the pure and sinless life of another. We recognize that the goodness, the godliness, the godlikeness of one cannot atone and make amends for the sins of the world, except in the sense that such a life points the true way to salvation. Redemption from sin, release from its consequences, suffering, sickness, and death, according to both right reasoning and revelation, cannot come through the suffering and death of God's anointed. The consequent must follow the antecedent, as effect follows cause. Infinite goodness cannot accept and approve that which "defileth" and "maketh a lie." God cannot change, nor is He changed by reason of the incarnation, nativity, passion, and resurrection of His beloved Son. Death cannot be the threshold and portal to eternal Life, nor can God's plan of salvation be based upon the absence or annihilation of His likeness.

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