Christmas And Its Message

Any world-wide anniversary necessarily carries its own message, and it devolves on those who perpetuate the day to proclaim that message in its entirety, in its full, undivided form; and unless this is faithfully done, the returning period will lose something of its significance. Mankind knows many anniversaries, but there is one which overtops them all. It is the return of the date that ushered in the Christian era, over nineteen centuries ago, by the advent of Jesus the Christ, that again draws the attention of the whole world to the Christianity established by the Master; and it is known as Christmas. Many peoples at this time turn their eyes to the nations called Christian, to see in what manner the followers of Christ Jesus preserve his, message.

The shepherds who were watching their flocks on that great night were undoubtedly aware of the promised coming of the Messiah; and the angel that appeared confirmed their faith by announcing “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” This heavenly messenger was immediately joined by a “multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” There is an important sequence here, the announcement of the fulfilling of prophecy being followed by a message consisting of two parts, the first giving glory to God, the second promising peace on earth. About thirty-two years later, when Jesus was engaged in his ministry and was asked which was the “great commandment in the law,” he replied that the first and great commandment was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and that the second was like unto it: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” And he added, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Compare this estimate of Jesus with the full message of the nativity, and note the correspondence. The heavenly host had given glory to God, and then there followed the conclusion of the message announcing the brotherhood of man. Yet, such has been the forgetfulness of the centuries that it is all too customary to speak of peace on earth without, apparently, acknowledging the fatherhood of God.

On the night of the nativity, we note that the shepherds went at once to Bethlehem to do homage to the child; and on their return they obeyed the First Commandment, for they glorified and praised God. We know, too, that the wise men who came from the East, bringing rich gifts, must have had understanding; for they were warned of God in a dream so that they returned to their own country by another way, and thus were kept from betraying the child Jesus into Herod’s hands.

Throughout his ministry Jesus continued to give thanks to God, to acknowledge God as his Father, and to give Him the credit for all his works; and during his years of teaching, preaching, and healing he taught his disciples how to heal the sick. Just before his ascension the Master promised signs following for all who believed on him, definitely naming the recovery of the sick. The spiritual understanding thus imparted enabled the disciples and the early Christians to carry on this work, so that for about three centuries the full message of Christ Jesus was given to the world with abundant proof.

During the intervening ages, down to the latter part of the nineteenth century, changes took place in the church, and the healing power of the Christ, Truth, disappeared with regard to disease, being limited to sin only. A devoted Christian woman, as divinely inspired as were the prophets, discovered anew the old but almost forgotten truth. For years she labored to establish the method of proof, and finally gave to the world the great result of her research in Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy declared the First Commandment to be her favorite text; and on page 467 of the textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” she says, “The first demand of this Science is, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me'” In this same paragraph, under the subheading “Two chief commands,” she outlines the necessity of obedience to the two great commandments.

Mrs. Eddy restored to humanity the full, undivided message of Jesus the Christ, and throughout her writings she so fully explains the nature of that message that unnumbered thousands have been healed of sin, sickness, infidelity, loneliness, sorrow, and every other form of false belief. Moreover, it is worth while to note here that, literally, multitudes of healings have been accomplished solely through the study of the textbook in connection with the Bible; for the true meaning of the Word is grasped through the spiritual understanding which this study brings.

On page 333 of the textbook we find the following: “The advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked the first century of the Christian era, but the Christ is without beginning of years or end of days. Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea,—the reflection of God,—has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth;” and Mrs. Eddy adds, “The divine image, idea, or Christ was, is, and ever will be inseparable from the divine Principle, God.” Also, on page 138 she writes: “Jesus established in the Christian era the precedent for all Christianity, theology, and healing. Christians are under as direct orders now, as they were then, to be Christlike, to possess the Christ spirit, to follow the Christ-example, and to heal the sick as well as the sinning.”

The flood of light turned on the world through the spiritual understanding of man as created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore sinless and perfect now, has so transformed human consciousness that to-day, only a little over sixty years since Mrs. Eddy was the only Christian Scientist in the world, unnumbered hosts have joyfully accepted the full, undivided message of Christ, Truth, and have been so healed of erroneous material concepts that to them the great message is not confined to one day,—Christmas Day,—but gives full and overflowing measure of joy for every day in the year. The understanding of the Christ-idea destroys the limited concept of material gifts as adequate celebration, replaces this concept with the certain knowledge that God has given to man every good gift—life, health, happiness, joy, abundance. In this hallowed giving there can be no sin, sickness, sorrow, pain, or death; no loneliness, despair, friendlessness, want, or woe. To all who are suffering from these evils, as to all others, Christian Science tenderly offers the sure promise of God—the faithful God—of the perfect healing of Love. There can, therefore, be no more favorable day than Christmas on which thought may be lovingly directed toward the true Christmas message.

The physical healing necessarily included in the undivided Christmas message should never again be lost. It was the dividing of the message of Truth, and offering only part of it, that caused the decline of spiritual healing; and it is the restoration of the full message that has reestablished the Christianity of Christ Jesus with the same proofs that marked the apostolic age and that of the early Christian church.