“Divine Truth, Life, and Love gave Jesus authority over sin, sickness, and death. His mission was to reveal the Science of celestial being, to prove what God is and what He does for man.” (Citation #11 – S & H, p. 26:14-18). I’ve had it on my “To Study” list for a while to research “mission,” so with this citation in the Lesson this week, I compiled the following regarding Jesus’ mission, which “was both individual and collective” and was to be maintained “on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing” (see Science and Health, p. 18 & p. 136):
• To save, not to condemn (John 8:11 – Lesson citation #3)
• To show mortals how to do their work, but not to do it for us, nor to relieve us of a single responsibility (see S & H, p. 18)
• To confirm prophecy, and explain the so-called miracles of olden time as natural demonstrations of the divine power (ibid, p. 131)
• To take away the sins of the world = the higher mission of the Christ-power (ibid, p. 150)
• To reveal this truth: that we discern the sign mental, and compass the destruction of sin and sickness by overcoming the thoughts which produce them, and by understanding the spiritual idea which corrects and destroys them (ibid, p. 233)
• To prove irrefutably how spiritual Truth destroys material error, heals sickness, and overcomes death (ibid, p. 315)
• To destroy sin, sickness, and death, and the works of the devil (ibid, p. 474 & I John 3:8 – “For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”)
• To heal sickness as well as sin (ibid, p. 635)
• To translate substance into its original meaning, Mind (Mis. p. 74)
• Peace, good will, love, teaching, and healing = the central point of his Messianic mission (ibid. p. 162)
• To reveal to mankind the kingdom of heaven on earth (PF article by Clarence W. Chadwick, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand”)
• To teach us the tender compassion of God (PF article by M.H. Griswold, “Reliance on Divine Love”)
• To establish the inspiration of love for Him in our hearts (ibid)
• To do the will of his Father (PF article by Edw. A. Kimball, “The Religion of Common Sense”)
• To fulfil law; To seek and save that which was lost; To effect the salvation of a suffering race; To demonstrate a practical, unmysterious salvation from these [vice, superstition, sin, and disease] and all other ills which beset humanity (ibid)
• To bear witness unto the truth (CSS, 7/20/1918, “Christ Jesus in fulfilling his avowed mission of bearing…” – W. Stuart Booth)
• To teach and demonstrate the sinless life (CSJ, Dec. 1896, Editorial, “The thought that God is a distant God, and that heaven…”)
Mrs. Eddy: “It is possible, – yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman, – to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness” (S & H, p. 37:22-25)