Article August 8, 1970 Issue

Understanding Jesus and the Christ

ROBERTA MOULDER

A great barrier, separating mankind from the full salvation that comes through Christ, as exemplified by Jesus, is the misunderstanding of Jesus and his relation to the Christ. Some of the non-Christian world, while perhaps accepting his life as a historical event, have disregarded his works and seen in him only a teacher of ethics. On the other hand, most of the Christian community have overshot the mark of true understanding in the belief that God and Jesus are identical. Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, writes, "The pioneer of something new under the sun is never hit: he cannot be; the opinions of people fly too high or too low."^{Christian Healing, p. 6} Both those who fail to grasp the tremendous spiritual import of Jesus' advent, and those to whom his amazing career is explained as supernatural intervention by God, are deprived of the complete redemption his example provided.

Christ Jesus' utilization of divine power was not limited to himself and a few followers of his day but was intended as an example for all mankind to follow in every age. Did he not say, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father"?^{John 14:12}

If all mankind are to attain salvation through the Christ, they must understand it better. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy defines "Christ" as "the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error."^{Science and Health, p. 583} The Christ, Truth, has appeared throughout all ages in flashes of insight that have given glimpses of reality, but by far the most notable instance of its appearance on earth was in the life and mission of Jesus.

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