The herald., 1897-01-04
UNITY CHURCH.
The True Discovery of the Messiah in
Jesus Christ.

The pastor, J. S. Thomson, delivered
q sermon on The Original DISCOVERIES Of
the Messiah In Jesus of Nazareth, taking
the text, I'VE have found the Messiah
John l., Al
the Messiah. and, through them, the
shepherds found him. A star guided tine
magi to the infant Messiah Simeon and
Anna recognized him in the temple. The
Baptist, Peter, Philip and others dis
covered him under the direction of Gods
spirit. 1t is worthy of remark that, ac-
cording to the Gospels, Jesus was recog-
nized as the Messiah only by persons
whom God had inspired to discover him.
We cannot find the Messiah Of the Cos
pels by intellectual investigation. 1t is
Gods spirit that reveals the Messiah to
the human spirit, not to the human in
tellect. The human intellect alone can
not discover the Messiah anywhere. but
the human spirit, under the influence of
God. can discover him everywhere. The
friends. or kinsmen, of Jesus regarded
him as q maniac, and ether people be-
laeved that he was mad. His brothers
did not believe on him as the Messiah,
and they mocked his Inconsistency in
not declaring himself to be the Messiah
at Jerusalem. His mother heard won
derful things about him from angels,
shepherds, magi. Simeon and Anna. She
knew him well as a boy and young man.
And yet she showed no great enthusiasm
about his Messlahship. Near the end of
his life she was his follower, and she
continued to be so after his death. She
treasured all she had heard about her
SON I'm her heart. like any good mother;
but, as many years had elapsed between
the prophecies about him and his pub
lie life. she may have ceased to think
- 1. Il i L..
that he was the Messiah. When he was
an infant in his mothers arms, he did
not know chat he had been sent into the
world to discharge Messianic functions.
Nor did he know his mission when he
was a boy. Jesus was a natural and
healthy child, and, as SUCH he grew in
wisdom" This quotation shows that he
knew more when he was 20 years OF age
than when he was 1, 5, or Is years old. 1t
follows, then, since Jesus was ignoran.
of his mission for years, and since he af.
terward declared he was the Messiah,
that the consciousness of his Messiah
ship came to him at some period in his
life. When did he realize his divine mis-
sion? The Gnostics, large and influen-
tial denomination in the early church,
claimed that he became conscious Of his
mission when John baptized him in the
Jordan, and when the heavens opened
their glorieS upon him, and voice called
him Gods beloved son. According to
GnoSclcism, there were two spirits In the
man Jesus-his own natural soul or spir-
it and the spirit of a celestial aeon, or
being, called Christ. This Christ aeon
took procession of Jesus at his baptism.
worked miracles through him, preached
the Gospel through him, and then lef:
him in the garden of agony, or before
his death upon the cross. This peculiar
theory of Christ's two natures Is more
rational, clear and satisfactory than the
clumsy one which modern orthodoxy Of
fers. The Gospels give the correct ex-
planation of Chrtsts Messianic con-
seriousness. He grew up natural,
healthy, spiritual man. Gradually God
revealed to him that he was the Messiah.
that he had the qualifications for the
office, that he must accept the duties,
and that he had been sent into the world
for that grand purpose, to be the worlds
Messiah. The popular theology of ou.
time has not discovered the Messiah in
Jesus. That theology has discovered a
heather God in Jesus, and it calls him
Christ. The religion of Christendom is
truer to Christ than the inconsistent,
selfish and pagan theology, which Is
waning very fast. The false Christs that
Jesus mentioned have been honored. Our
inherited prejudice fights against the
natural and divine Messiah of the Cos
pels, and it has hardened our hearts
against the true Christ whom God sent
into the world. Christ-not a heather
divinity-will save the race.
The choir. under the direction of Prof.
VIM. II. Hamilton, sang the anthem.
When Evening Shadows and the Offer
tory, o, Lord / Call to Thee!