Shortly before his crucifixion, Christ Jesus stunned his closest disciples by announcing that his earthly mission was drawing to a close. But he also reassured them that what he had taught them would never pass away. Then, as recorded by Matthew in vividly descriptive language, he discussed what theologians have since called the second coming.See Matt., chap. 24 .
Traditional religious belief has thought of the second coming as a reappearance of Jesus in a physical form, accompanied by some kind of universal cataclysm. Many of Jesus' earliest followers anticipated such an occurrence during their lifetime; and Christendom as a whole expected something similar as the year 1000 drew near. With the end of the second millennium fast approaching, and with the Christmas season upon us, it seems especially appropriate to ponder the real significance of Christ's coming.
The Science of Christ makes a clear distinction between the human Jesus and the incorporeal, ever-present Christ he embodied and demonstrated in his healing ministry. The Christ is God's omnipresent idea—showing forth man's spiritual sonship with God. The Christ did not begin in Bethlehem nor end at Calvary but is eternal. The highest proof of this was illustrated in Jesus' triumph over death. The Christ comes to human consciousness to save mankind from belief in evil and matter—and from the sin, disease, and death that result from this belief. Isaiah succinctly speaks of the Christ as "Immanuel" (meaning "God with us"); and in his account of the Christmas story, Matthew identifies Jesus' birth as evidence of the appearance of the Christ among men in accord with Isaiah's prophetic vision.See Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:23 .
