Responsive Reading: Luke 4 : 1, 16-21

1.     And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan,

16.     And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17.     And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18.     The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19.     To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20.     And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21.     And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

1. Isaiah 42 : 1, 5-7

1     Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

5     Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6     I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7     To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

2. John 1 : 6-14, 16, 17

6     There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7     The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8     He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9     That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10     He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11     He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12     But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13     Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14     And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

16     And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17     For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

3. Matthew 3 : 13-17

13     Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14     But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15     And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16     And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17     And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

4. Matthew 4 : 23, 24

23     And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24     And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

5. Matthew 5 : 1-12, 17, 18

1     And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2     And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3     Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4     Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5     Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6     Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7     Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8     Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9     Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10     Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11     Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12     Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

17     Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18     For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

6. Matthew 11 : 2-6

2     Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3     And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4     Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5     The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6     And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

7. Mark 13 : 30 (to 1st ,), 31-37

30     Verily I say unto you,

31     Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32     But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33     Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34     For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35     Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36     Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37     And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

8. Matthew 28 : 20 (and)

20     …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

1. 18 : 3-12

Jesus of Nazareth taught and demonstrated man's oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him endless homage. His mission was both individual and collective. He did life's work aright not only in justice to himself, but in mercy to mortals, — to show them how to do theirs, but not to do it for them nor to relieve them of a single responsibility. Jesus acted boldly, against the accredited evidence of the senses, against Pharisaical creeds and practices, and he refuted all opponents with his healing power.

2. 30 : 19-25

As the individual ideal of Truth, Christ Jesus came to rebuke rabbinical error and all sin, sickness, and death, — to point out the way of Truth and Life. This ideal was demonstrated throughout the whole earthly career of Jesus, showing the difference between the offspring of Soul and of material sense, of Truth and of error.

3. 315 : 21-11

Jesus' spiritual origin and understanding enabled him to demonstrate the facts of being, — to prove irrefutably how spiritual Truth destroys material error, heals sickness, and overcomes death. The divine conception of Jesus pointed to this truth and presented an illustration of creation. The history of Jesus shows him to have been more spiritual than all other earthly personalities.

Wearing in part a human form (that is, as it seemed to mortal view), being conceived by a human mother, Jesus was the mediator between Spirit and the flesh, between Truth and error. Explaining and demonstrating the way of divine Science, he became the way of salvation to all who accepted his word. From him mortals may learn how to escape from evil. The real man being linked by Science to his Maker, mortals need only turn from sin and lose sight of mortal selfhood to find Christ, the real man and his relation to God, and to recognize the divine sonship. Christ, Truth, was demonstrated through Jesus to prove the power of Spirit over the flesh, — to show that Truth is made manifest by its effects upon the human mind and body, healing sickness and destroying sin.

4. 473 : 26-3

Jesus established what he said by demonstration, thus making his acts of higher importance than his words. He proved what he taught. This is the Science of Christianity. Jesus proved the Principle, which heals the sick and casts out error, to be divine. Few, however, except his students understood in the least his teachings and their glorious proofs, — namely, that Life, Truth, and Love (the Principle of this unacknowledged Science) destroy all error, evil, disease, and death.

5. 313 : 23-26

Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe. He plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause.

6. 271 : 22-25

The Sermon on the Mount is the essence of this Science, and the eternal life, not the death of Jesus, is its outcome.

7. 26 : 28-9

Our Master taught no mere theory, doctrine, or belief. It was the divine Principle of all real being which he taught and practised. His proof of Christianity was no form or system of religion and worship, but Christian Science, working out the harmony of Life and Love. Jesus sent a message to John the Baptist, which was intended to prove beyond a question that the Christ had come: "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." In other words: Tell John what the demonstration of divine power is, and he will at once perceive that God is the power in the Messianic work.

8. 25 : 22-31

Though demonstrating his control over sin and disease, the great Teacher by no means relieved others from giving the requisite proofs of their own piety. He worked for their guidance, that they might demonstrate this power as he did and understand its divine Principle. Implicit faith in the Teacher and all the emotional love we can bestow on him, will never alone make us imitators of him. We must go and do likewise, else we are not improving the great blessings which our Master worked and suffered to bestow upon us.

9. 51 : 19-24

His consummate example was for the salvation of us all, but only through doing the works which he did and taught others to do. His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle. He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in all that he said and did.

10. 429 : 31-9

Jesus said (John viii. 51), "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." That statement is not confined to spiritual life, but includes all the phenomena of existence. Jesus demonstrated this, healing the dying and raising the dead. Mortal mind must part with error, must put off itself with its deeds, and immortal manhood, the Christ ideal, will appear. Faith should enlarge its borders and strengthen its base by resting upon Spirit instead of matter. When man gives up his belief in death, he will advance more rapidly towards God, Life, and Love.

11. 37 : 16-31

When will Jesus' professed followers learn to emulate him in all his ways and to imitate his mighty works? Those who procured the martyrdom of that righteous man would gladly have turned his sacred career into a mutilated doctrinal platform. May the Christians of to-day take up the more practical import of that career! 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. Christians claim to be his followers, but do they follow him in the way that he commanded? Hear these imperative commands: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect!" "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature!" "Heal the sick!"