1. Date of Lesson

2. Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

3. Lesson Sermon — The Bible

4. Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

5. The Daily Duties

6. About the preparation of this lesson

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Subject — Doctrine Of Atonement

GOLDEN TEXT: Revelation 12 : 10

“Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.”

RESPONSIVE READING: John 10 : 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 27-30

11.     I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

14.     I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15.     As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

17.     Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18.     No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

27.     My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28.     And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29.     My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30.     I and my Father are one.

Lesson Sermon

The Bible

1. John 3 : 16

16     For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2. Matthew 4 : 23

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.

3. John 12 : 1, 9-11, 17, 19 (to ?), 23, 27-35 (to 2nd ,), 36 (that) (to 1st .), 37, 42-44, 50

1     Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

9     Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

10     But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

11     Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

17     The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

19     The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing?

23     And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

27     Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

28     Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

29     The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

30     Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

31     Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

32     And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

33     This he said, signifying what death he should die.

34     The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

35     Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light,

36     …that ye may be the children of light.

37     But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

42     Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

43     For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44     Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

50     And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

4. John 13 : 1

1     Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

5. John 14 : 9 (to saith), 12 (He), 13-15, 27, 28 (If), 29, 31

9     Jesus saith …

12     He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13     And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14     If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15     If ye love me, keep my commandments.

27     Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28     If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29     And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

31     But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

6. Matthew 27 : 1, 33, 35 (they) (to 1st ,), 55, 56 (to 1st ,)

1     When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

33     And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

35     …they crucified him.

55     And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

56     Among which was Mary Magdalene,

7. Mark 16 : 9-11, 14, 15, 17 (to 2nd ;), 18-20

9     Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

10     And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11     And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

14     Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

15     And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

17     And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils;

18     They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19     So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20     And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

8. Matthew 5 : 8

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

Science and Health

1. 583 : 10-11

CHRIST. The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error.

2. 18 : 1-5

Atonement is the exemplification of man's unity with God, whereby man reflects divine Truth, Life, and Love. Jesus of Nazareth taught and demonstrated man's oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him endless homage.

3. 136 : 1-10 (to .)

Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught his followers that his religion had a divine Principle, which would cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning. He claimed no intelligence, action, nor life separate from God. Despite the persecution this brought upon him, he used his divine power to save men both bodily and spiritually.

The question then as now was, How did Jesus heal the sick? His answer to this question the world rejected.

4. 28 : 1-6

The Pharisees claimed to know and to teach the divine will, but they only hindered the success of Jesus' mission. Even many of his students stood in his way. If the Master had not taken a student and taught the unseen verities of God, he would not have been crucified.

5. 23 : 5-7 (to 2nd .)

That God's wrath should be vented upon His beloved Son, is divinely unnatural. Such a theory is man-made.

6. 286 : 1-11

To seek Truth through belief in a human doctrine is not to understand the infinite. We must not seek the immutable and immortal through the finite, mutable, and mortal, and so depend upon belief instead of demonstration, for this is fatal to a knowledge of Science. The understanding of Truth gives full faith in Truth, and spiritual understanding is better than all burnt offerings.

The Master said, "No man cometh unto the Father [the divine Principle of being] but by me," Christ, Life, Truth, Love; for Christ says, "I am the way."

7. 34 : 18-24 (to ,)

Through all the disciples experienced, they became more spiritual and understood better what the Master had taught. His resurrection was also their resurrection. It helped them to raise themselves and others from spiritual dulness and blind belief in God into the perception of infinite possibilities. They needed this quickening,

8. 134 : 26-32

Jesus said: "I knew that Thou hearest me always;" and he raised Lazarus from the dead, stilled the tempest, healed the sick, walked on the water. There is divine authority for believing in the superiority of spiritual power over material resistance.

A miracle fulfils God's law, but does not violate that law.

9. 24 : 27-31

The efficacy of the crucifixion lay in the practical affection and goodness it demonstrated for mankind. The truth had been lived among men; but until they saw that it enabled their Master to triumph over the grave, his own disciples could not admit such an event to be possible.

10. 36 : 10-14

Jesus endured the shame, that he might pour his dear-bought bounty into barren lives. What was his earthly reward? He was forsaken by all save John, the beloved disciple, and a few women who bowed in silent woe beneath the shadow of his cross.

11. 20 : 20-23

Yet he swerved not, well knowing that to obey the divine order and trust God, saves retracing and traversing anew the path from sin to holiness.

12. 26 : 1-6 (to ;)

While we adore Jesus, and the heart overflows with gratitude for what he did for mortals, — treading alone his loving pathway up to the throne of glory, in speechless agony exploring the way for us, — yet Jesus spares us not one individual experience, if we follow his commands faithfully;

13. 138 : 18-22

Christians are under as direct orders now, as they were then, to be Christlike, to possess the Christ-spirit, to follow the Christ-example, and to heal the sick as well as the sinning.

14. 37 : 27-31

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!"

15. 494 : 11-15

It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.

The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love.

16. 21 : 1-14

If Truth is overcoming error in your daily walk and conversation, you can finally say, "I have fought a good fight ... I have kept the faith," because you are a better man. This is having our part in the at-one-ment with Truth and Love. Christians do not continue to labor and pray, expecting because of another's goodness, suffering, and triumph, that they shall reach his harmony and reward.

If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the start, and gain a little each day in the right direction, till at last he finishes his course with joy.

17. 24 : 11-13

He to whom "the arm of the Lord" is revealed will believe our report, and rise into newness of life with regeneration.

18. 45 : 16-21

Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.

The Daily Duties

by Mary Baker Eddy

Daily Prayer

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to pray each day: "Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 4

A Rule for Motives and Acts

Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 1

Alertness to Duty

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged, — and justified or condemned.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 6

Take Notice

To Christian Scientists: — See Science and Health, page 442, line 30, and give daily attention thereto.

from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 237

“Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake.”

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 422

This Bible Lesson was prepared by Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent. It is composed of Scriptural Quotations from the King James Bible and Correlative Passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 1910 Edition, by Mary Baker Eddy.

Copyright 2025 Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent

Table of Contents

Sunday, April 20th, 2025 — Subject: Doctrine Of Atonement

Date of Lesson

Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

Lesson Sermon — The Bible

Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

The Daily Duties

About the preparation of this lesson