Is Christ Jesus Relevant Today?

Webster’s Dictionary defines “relevant” as “having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand”.

Some people find Christ Jesus relevant today while others might not. Perhaps some are seeking more evidence of that relevance.

Dr. Luis Palau, a native of Argentina who has spent time in Detroit and Grand Rapids, addressed this issue as keynote speaker at the Michigan Prayer Breakfast in Lansing in May of last year. He shared seven areas in which he feels Christ Jesus’ teaching is relevant today, including family stability and peace in the community.

Asking questions of ourselves can help us probe our hearts to learn what is relevant to us. Palau said, “Get in the closet and look at your own heart.”

Recently, I’ve been doing this. I’ve pondered Christ Jesus and his teaching and healing ministry in more depth and have concluded he is very relevant in my life today.

For example, practicing Jesus’ command to love one another makes me conscious of being more kind and caring and seeing the same in others.

Jesus’ unique virgin birth, celebrated at Christmas, tells me we are all children of God, which helps me feel loved, protected, and cared for by God.

Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection show me that all things really are possible with God, that life is God-given and eternal, and that man is saved through Christ – and not just from sin, but also from suffering of every kind.

For example, a couple of years ago I tripped and fell and my leg became swollen. Right away, I began to pray---to quietly listen for divine inspiration and stop focusing on my leg. And, as I was affirming God’s presence in my life, for all of us really, and the constant protection and the unassailable integrity of my being as a child of God, which such awareness of his presence brings, the swelling went down – completely. To me this was a clear case of cause and effect between the prayer and the healing, and an example of Jesus’ promise that those who believe on him would have “signs following” (see Mark 16:17-20).

My high school physics teacher presented fascinating demonstrations of the laws of physics – i.e. how things work. When Jesus healed people, he was demonstrating the laws of God, introducing a different reality than mere matter can present – how things actually are in God’s eyes – all good! Jesus was demonstrating a method of healing that brings this spiritual reality to light in the human condition through the power and love of God. For about three centuries, the early Christians healed like he did. And, being based on divine laws, this method remains available today to anyone who understands it.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, wrote, “Christianity as Jesus taught it was not a creed, nor a system of ceremonies, nor a special gift from a ritualistic Jehovah; but it was the demonstration of divine Love casting out error and healing the sick, not merely in the name of Christ, or Truth, but in demonstration of Truth, as must be the case in the cycles of divine light.”

Appreciating Christ Jesus’ relevance in my life adds meaning not only to my celebration of Christmas, but to every day of the year.

Bob Cummings serves as Christian Science Committee on Publication for Michigan and writes about how consciousness and spirituality benefit health. He is a life-long Michigander now living in Milford. See more on his website, A Look At Spirituality and Health, follow him on Twitter: @CSinMichigan, or email him at michigan@compub.org.