In the life and character of Christ Jesus as understood in Christian Science we have a perfect example of complete identification with good. In his teachings we have an explanation of the way this identification was made by him and must be made by us. Jesus identified himself with God, good, with his spiritual selfhood, that is, the Christ, and with the work God sent him into the world to do. His only will was to know and do the will of God. He neither claimed nor desired any life, intelligence, power, goodness, or joy apart from God. He only did and only willed to do what he saw the Father do, and he always did the will of God, not only in justice to his own true selfhood, but also that he might reconcile us to God, to complete at-one-ment with good.
Christ Jesus' life-work was that of a helper, healer, teacher, and Saviour. He is our Wayshower in that he has revealed and demonstrated the way of life and salvation. He is our Saviour in that through our understanding of and love for the Christ,—man's divine selfhood,— we have access to and become identified with God. While to be completely identified with Christ Jesus means to be identified with his life-work as well as his elevation and reward, he taught that no one could identify himself with him or his ministry in any friendly and helpful way without becoming identified in some vital way with the good he came to reveal. "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." "He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." In like manner Jesus taught that whoever believed on him (understood his teaching) became in so far identified with God, good, with immortal Life and blessedness. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But just as Jesus taught that to receive him was to receive his Father who sent him, so likewise he taught, "He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me." This is also in harmony with the whole purpose of the Master's life and teachings. He revealed God to men and reconciled men to God, but never claimed to be anything apart from God.
Christ Jesus also makes spiritual knowledge and love the means of identification with himself and God, which is eternal life. "This is life eternal," says Jesus, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." In answer to the question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus approved the answer, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." His new and final commandment to his disciples was, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you." He makes the doing of God's will to be the basis of this knowledge, and the keeping of His commandments to be the sole condition of abiding in His love and of being Jesus' friend. Manifestly, to love Christ Jesus is to love Him that sent him and our neighbor as ourselves; and to minister unto him is to minister in every helpful way to all in need of help. To be identified with Christ Jesus is to be identified with God and to be a lover and helper of men. It is to have and to give, with the Father, every good and perfect blessing. Among Jesus' last words, as reported in John's Gospel, was the thrice repeated question to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" which carried with it the loving but commanding request to express this love by feeding his lambs and his sheep. "Feed my lambs." "Feed my sheep." "Feed my sheep." In his description of the coming of the Son of man and of the final judgment, the sheep, like "the good Samaritan," are those who minister unto him by ministering unto humanity, while the goats, like the priest and the Levite who "passed by on the other side," are those who fail to minister unto him through their failure to minister unto humanity.
