Christian Science affirms that God, infinite Spirit, is ever present. Therefore the Christ, the true idea of God, is never absent. Christ coexists with God as the eternal manifestation of divine Life, Truth, and Love. Christ Jesus, referring to this divine idea or his real nature, said (Matt. 28:20), "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Here is the Master's loving assurance of the ever presence of the Christ.
Throughout his ministry, the great Nazarene proclaimed and demonstrated the merits of the Christ, the true idea of sonship. But he never claimed a monopoly of the Christ. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 333): "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 she goes on to say in the same paragraph: "The divine image, idea, or Christ was, is, and ever will be inseparable from the divine Principle, God. Jesus referred to this unity of his spiritual identity thus: 'Before Abraham was, I am;' 'I and my Father are one;' 'My Father is greater than I.'"
Jesus understood the Christ to be the timeless, ever-present spirit of Life, Truth, and Love by which God eternally and unceasingly expresses Himself and which coexists with God in all ages. Thus the Christ is the divine, saving influence ever at hand.
