When centuries ago the angels sang to the shepherds the glad song of "peace on earth, good will to men," the listeners little realized the wonderful blessings which were to follow. Up to that time the world had been largely in darkness as to the marvelous nature of God as Love itself. While the Old Testament writers had sometimes proclaimed Him as expressing "lovingkindness and tender mercies," they also had pictured Him as a God of vengeance, dealing death and destruction to those who lived in disobedience to Him. It was therefore meet that the birth of the gentle Nazarene should have been heralded in such exquisite melody; for he, who was to redeem the world from all evil, who was to prove the power of the one God who is Love to bless even those who curse, who was to be the first to express among men the perfect divine sonship, should certainly have had such heavenly recognition.
Although, in the times since then, the world has fluctuated in its appreciation of the mission of Jesus, it has nevertheless gone steadily forward in its acceptance of him as the perfect Way-shower, whom all men must eventually follow up to and in through the very gates of heaven. While the Christian church has done much in the establishment of the Christ-teaching among men, it has remained for Christian Science to explain the words and works of Jesus with such clearness that they may be again practiced, so that his command to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils," may be obeyed in its fullness, and the blessings he lived to bestow may be realized in more abundant measure than ever before; for as John tells us, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
No people have ever loved Christ Jesus more than do Christian Scientists, and none have been more humbled by the contemplation of his stupendous demonstration. None have ever studied his life and teachings with profounder earnestness, for none have recognized so fully that it is only through the correct understanding of that life and work that his teachings can be obeyed and demonstrated and the real man in the image and likeness of God may continue to appear. From the very first of his infancy Jesus' experiences hold helpful lessons for every mortal to accept, since his life was the illustration by example of the vanquishment of the belief in a material selfhood, with the understanding of man as the spiritual son of God.
