Part 6 (2/2)

Pentecost repeated

43:3 The magnitude of Jesus' work, his material disappear- ance before their eyes and his reappearance, all enabled the disciples to understand what Jesus had 43:6 said. Heretofore they had only believed; now they understood. The advent of this understanding is what is meant by the descent of the Holy Ghost, - that 43:9 influx of divine Science which so illuminated the Pentecos- tal Day and is now repeating its ancient history.

Convincing evidence

Jesus' last proof was the highest, the most convincing, 43:12 the most profitable to his students. The malignity of brutal persecutors, the treason and suicide of his betrayer, were overruled by divine Love to 43:15 the glorification of the man and of the true idea of G.o.d, which Jesus' persecutors had mocked and tried to slay.

The final demonstration of the truth which Jesus taught, 43:18 and for which he was crucified, opened a new era for the world. Those who slew him to stay his influence perpetu- ated and extended it.

Divine victory

43:21 Jesus rose higher in demonstration because of the cup of bitterness he drank. Human law had condemned him, but he was demonstrating divine Science.

43:24 Out of reach of the barbarity of his enemies, he was acting under spiritual law in defiance of mat- ter and mortality, and that spiritual law sustained him.

43:27 The divine must overcome the human at every point.

The Science Jesus taught and lived must triumph over all material beliefs about life, substance, and intelli- 43:30 gence, and the mult.i.tudinous errors growing from such beliefs.

Love must triumph over hate. Truth and Life must 44:1 seal the victory over error and death, before the thorns can be laid aside for a crown, the benediction follow, 44:3 ”Well done, good and faithful servant,” and the suprem- acy of Spirit be demonstrated.

Jesus in the tomb

The lonely precincts of the tomb gave Jesus a refuge 44:6 from his foes, a place in which to solve the great problem of being. His three days' work in the sepulchre set the seal of eternity on time.

44:9 He proved Life to be deathless and Love to be the mas- ter of hate. He met and mastered on the basis of Chris- tian Science, the power of Mind over matter, all the claims 44:12 of medicine, surgery, and hygiene.

He took no drugs to allay inflammation. He did not depend upon food or pure air to resuscitate wasted 44:15 energies. He did not require the skill of a surgeon to heal the torn palms and bind up the wounded side and lacerated feet, that he might use those hands to remove 44:18 the napkin and winding-sheet, and that he might employ his feet as before.

The deific naturalism

Could it be called supernatural for the G.o.d of nature 44:21 to sustain Jesus in his proof of man's truly derived power?

It was a method of surgery beyond material art, but it was not a supernatural act. On 44:24 the contrary, it was a divinely natural act, whereby divinity brought to humanity the understanding of the Christ- healing and revealed a method infinitely above that of 44:27 human invention.

Obstacles overcome

His disciples believed Jesus to be dead while he was hidden in the sepulchre, whereas he was alive, demon- 44:30 strating within the narrow tomb the power of Spirit to overrule mortal, material sense.

There were rock-ribbed walls in the way, and a great 45:1 stone must be rolled from the cave's mouth; but Jesus vanquished every material obstacle, overcame every law 45:3 of matter, and stepped forth from his gloomy resting-place, crowned with the glory of a sublime success, an everlasting victory.

Victory over the grave

45:6 Our Master fully and finally demonstrated divine Sci- ence in his victory over death and the grave. Jesus'

deed was for the enlightenment of men and 45:9 for the salvation of the whole world from sin, sickness, and death. Paul writes: ”For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G.o.d by the [seeming] death 45:12 of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Three days after his bodily burial he talked with his disciples. The persecutors had failed to hide im- 45:15 mortal Truth and Love in a sepulchre.

The stone rolled away

Glory be to G.o.d, and peace to the struggling hearts!

Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of hu- 45:18 man hope and faith, and through the reve- lation and demonstration of life in G.o.d, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual 45:21 idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.

After the resurrection

<script>