Spiritual ascension
Jesus' unchanged physical condition after what seemed
46:21 to be death was followed by his exaltation above all ma-
terial conditions; and this exaltation explained
his ascension, and revealed unmistakably a
46:24 probationary and progressive state beyond the grave.
Jesus was "the way;" that is, he marked the way for
all men. In his final demonstration, called the ascen-
46:27 sion, which closed the earthly record of Jesus, he rose
above the physical knowledge of his disciples, and the
material senses saw him no more.
Pentecostal power
46:30 His students then received the Holy Ghost. By this is
meant, that by all they had witnessed and suffered, they
were roused to an enlarged understanding of divine Sci-
47:1 ence, even to the spiritual interpretation and discernment
of Jesus' teachings and demonstrations, which gave them
47:3 a faint conception of the Life which is God.
They no longer measured man by material
sense. After gaining the true idea of their glorified Master,
47:6 they became better healers, leaning no longer on matter,
but on the divine Principle of their work. The influx of
light was sudden. It was sometimes an overwhelming
47:9 power as on the Day of Pentecost.
The traitor's conspiracy
Judas conspired against Jesus. The world's ingratitude
and hatred towards that just man effected his betrayal.
47:12 The traitor's price was thirty pieces of silver
and the smiles of the Pharisees. He chose his
time, when the people were in doubt concerning Jesus'
47:15 teachings.
A period was approaching which would reveal the in-
finite distance between Judas and his Master. Judas
47:18 Iscariot knew this. He knew that the great goodness of
that Master placed a gulf between Jesus and his betrayer,
and this spiritual distance inflamed Judas' envy. The
47:21 greed for gold strengthened his ingratitude, and for a time
quieted his remorse. He knew that the world generally
loves a lie better than Truth; and so he plotted the be-
47:24 trayal of Jesus in order to raise himself in popular esti-
mation. His dark plot fell to the ground, and the
traitor fell with it.
47:27 The disciples' desertion of their Master in his last
earthly struggle was punished; each one came to a vio-
lent death except St. John, of whose death we have no
47:30 record.
Gethsemane glorified
During his night of gloom and glory in the garden,
Jesus realized the utter error of a belief in any possi-
48:1 ble material intelligence. The pangs of neglect and the
staves of bigoted ignorance smote him sorely. His stu-
48:3 dents slept. He said unto them: "Could Ye
not watch with me one hour?" Could they
not watch with him who, waiting and struggling in voice-
48:6 less agony, held uncomplaining guard over a world?
There was no response to that human yearning, and so
Jesus turned forever away from earth to heaven, from
48:9 sense to Soul.
Remembering the sweat of agony which fell in holy
benediction on the grass of Gethsemane, shall the hum-
48:12 blest or mightiest disciple murmur when he drinks from the
same cup, and think, or even wish, to escape the exalt-
ing ordeal of sin's revenge on its destroyer? Truth and
48:15 Love bestow few palms until the consummation of a
life-work.