From time to time people express doubts as to whether the character and life of Christ Jesus are authentically portrayed in the Gospels—or even whether he actually existed as a person at all.

There are comparatively few and brief references to Jesus by Jewish or Roman writers near his day. Many believe that all we know of his life and teaching was handed down by word of mouth to followers who had not personally known him. It was probably not until three or four decades after the ascension that the first of the Gospels was written. Yet these recorded incidents and teachings have had (and still do have) profound influence upon countless millions of people. They have inspired, comforted, reformed, and healed humanity, and raised both the morally and physically dead to useful, happy lives. They have enriched, guarded, guided mankind, replaced hate with love, injustice with justice, sickness with health, ugliness with beauty—and they do today.

Could such blessings have come to the human race through unfounded faith? Could a fictional character have so influenced a world for good for nearly two thousand years?

Mary Baker Eddy was once questioned in one of her classes by a retired Unitarian minister, the Reverend James Henry Wiggin. Mr. Wiggin was something of a Biblical scholar, with considerable knowledge of Christian history, and when, in the course of her teaching, Mrs. Eddy was dealing with the subject of agnosticism, he broke in with the question, "How do you know that there ever was such a man as Christ Jesus?" ^{The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 318, 319;}

But Mrs. Eddy, too, was a lifelong student of the Bible. Much more, she had communed with God in countless hours of prayer. Her consciousness had been inspired by spiritual truths that illumined the written words of the Bible and gave them meaning for her far beyond their literal sense. She had deeply pondered the message of the Gospels and gained a conviction of God's sublime presence and the perfection of His universe that equipped her with spiritual power to perform healing works comparable to those of the Master's disciples. Her reply to Mr. Wiggin rang with the assurance of her experience: "I do not find my authority for Christian Science in history, but in revelation. If there had never existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make no difference to me. I should still know that God's spiritual ideal is the only real man in His image and likeness."¹

Yet a glance over the pages of Mrs. Eddy's main written work, the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, must convince anyone of her deep reverence for Christ Jesus and of his teachings as recorded in the Gospels. She includes nearly three hundred quotations from the Gospels, and her references to Jesus himself are vastly more. She refers to him not only by his name Jesus, or Christ Jesus, but as Master, the Nazarene, the Galilean Prophet, the Lamb, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, Teacher, and Way–shower.

Reverence for Jesus is a rule of The Church of Christ, Scientist, the Church Mrs. Eddy founded. It is laid down in the Manual of The Mother Church, of which she is the author: "Careless comparison or irreverent reference to Christ Jesus is abnormal in a Christian Scientist, and is prohibited." ^{Man., Art. VIII, Sect. 3;} Loyal members strictly observe this rule—indeed, they have no desire to do otherwise.

Through the inspiration thrown by Christian Science on the teachings of the Master, they have demonstrated to some degree the truth of his prophecy, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." ^{John 14:12;} Mrs. Eddy's own deep love for him was no abstraction. She proved her devotion to him by following his instructions. He is reported to have said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." ^{v. 15 ;} And Mrs. Eddy did. She loved mankind, forgave those who persecuted her, healed the sick, and even raised the dead. She preached the good news of the presence of the kingdom of heaven—the very gospel the Master came to reveal. And she prophesied the immortality of his words. More than eighty years ago she wrote: "He said, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;' and they have not. The winds of time sweep clean the centuries, but they can never bear into oblivion his words. They still live, and to–morrow speak louder than to–day." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 99.}

Today Mrs. Eddy's followers, Christian Scientists all over the world, testify that this is true. The power of the Master's teachings is transforming people's characters and lives and healing their bodies. Through not only revelation, but demonstration, they truly believe that Jesus did exist. They revere and love him. They study the Gospels daily and strive to live in accord with his teachings. They are convinced that his influence is immortal and must continue to bless the world until the Christ he expressed reforms the last sinner and erases sin, disease, and death from the experience of the human race.

Naomi Price