For centuries the Jewish people looked forward with joy to the coming of the Christ, prophesied from early times. While believing their prophets, they had a mistaken sense of how the Christ should come. Had not Isaiah foretold that "a king shall reign in righteousness"? What was more natural, then, than to expect that the promised Messiah would come as a great king, freeing them from their Roman conquerors? Thus when the Christ, as manifested by Jesus of Nazareth, appeared on earth, the people did not recognize the Messiah. Christ Jesus did indeed bring the means of deliverance, but his method was not appreciated by the people as a whole. He taught the need of being spiritually-minded. This spirituality was to be expressed in a truer humanity, and result in fuller freedom, health, and general well-being. Mrs. Eddy has written in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 25), "The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus."
The disciples of Jesus profited by his daily teaching. He made clear to them that the true idea of divine Love, which he presented, would be more fully revealed later. So they asked him what should be the signs of this fuller coming and of the subduing of materiality. We can picture them, as they sat upon the Mount of Olives, eagerly questioning him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" It is significant that the first words of the Master, in answer to this question, conveyed a warning: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Then he went on to tell of the signs which would accompany this fuller appearing of the Christ; and in so doing he said the unexpected, as he so often did. He spoke of wars, and rumors of wars, of nation rising against nation, of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places, of the rising of false prophets. We need have no difficulty in identifying the signs which we see before us today, as evils such as these come to the surface to pass away. Throughout these seeming upheavals, we have the Master's words assuring us that good is indestructible: "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
What of the underlying good that is coming to light more fully? Those who have awakened somewhat to the truth as taught in Christian Science, know that the coming of the Comforter, as promised by the Master, is none other than the advent of Christian Science, and they give due credit to Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, for her unique part in this consummation. It would be unjust to our present age if, while duly noting the wrong conditions only too prevalent, we did not recognize the good that is being exemplified before our eyes.
